Michael Flechtner has made a lasting mark on the artform of neon through his mastery of three-dimensional sculpture, employment of visual puns, and his mentorship of future generations of neon benders. Born in Tiffin, Ohio, Flechtner had an early interest in colored light and electronics which he incorporated into his first artworks while a Bachelors of Fine Art student at Columbus College of Art and Design and during his Masters of Fine Art studies at Wichita State University.
After a visit to the Museum of Neon Art (MONA), he decided to learn the craft of neon bending so that he could move to Los Angeles and participate in the flourishing new media scene. He enrolled in a six-week neon fabricating class with Freddy Elliott in Salina, Kansas. Flechtner learned enough hands-on skills to work in a neon sign shop after relocating to Los Angeles. He pursued commercial neon by day and his own sculptural neon by night at his studio in Van Nuys.
In 1991 Flechtner presented his first solo exhibition at MONA. The exhibition was titled Ecce Signum, Latin for “Behold the Sign.” The title was emblematic of the artist’s play with a medium often associated with signage as well as his interest in symbols. Flechntner’s work transcends the category of signage, bringing it into the context of sculpture and conceptual art. Now, thirty-four years later, the title for his follow-up exhibition translates as “Behold the Craftsman.” The title serves as a testament to the simultaneous humility and staggering skill neon craftspeople cultivate in order to create their works.
Flechtner’s best-known public work in Los Angeles is the Neon Aquarium at Olympic and Sawtelle completed in 1998. In 1999 he became a J. Paul Getty Trust Fund Fellow. He was commissioned by the US Postal Service in 2011 to design a stamp for the Forever series: the Celebrate! Stamp. The original work of art is held in the Smithsonian National Postal Museum. Flechtner also received the Botticelli Award and Ford Foundation Award. In addition to his own work, he fabricates neon for other artists including Bruce Nauman, Frank Romero, Stephen Antonakos, Doug Aitken, Alexandra Grant, and Betye Saar. In 2012 the Mayor of Flechtner’s hometown proclaimed every October 22 “Michael (Mike) Flechtner Day”.
