Timed to coincide with London’s Frieze Week, contemporary artist Katherine McMahon presents Open Late (10–19 October 2025) at God’s Own Junkyard in Walthamstow, home to Europe’s largest collection of neon lights. Showcasing a striking new series of neon sign paintings, McMahon explores the lifecycle of cultural symbols that shape our desires–tracking their journey from everyday presence to nostalgic icon.
In their original use, the neon sign emitted hedonistic undertones in outdoor advertising to promote everything from food to gambling to sex–activating the brain’s orienting reflex and encouraging action through color psychology, motion and light. Aside from their literal messaging, their hum and glow contributed to the look and feel of urban landscapes in the 20th century. They were once much more than signage–they were seductive, sensorial triggers.
These paintings celebrate neon’s golden age while taking a wider lens to the way culture facilitates the transition of mainstream objects to cultural artefacts in the 21st century. Furthermore, this series explores the literal messaging of neon signs, framing words and phrases as a historical record that reflects shifting priorities in consumerism and culture from the past to the present.
‘Open Late’ explores the inverted symbology and psychological effect of presenting the sentimental, sculptural neon sign object via the two-dimensional, flattened medium of painting. Drawing inspiration from Mark Fisher’s concept of hauntology–the idea that the present is haunted by lost futures–McMahon considers the complexity of the neon sign’s contemporary identity as a material casualty of the 20th century.
Katherine McMahon is an American multidisciplinary artist based in London. She was previously based in New York City and is the former Creative Director at ARTnews magazine. Her work has appeared at Guild Hall Museum (East Hampton, NY), Peter Mendenhall Gallery (Pasadena, CA) and SITE:Brooklyn (Brooklyn, NY). In early 2018, she participated in a solo residency at the Elaine de Kooning House in East Hampton, NY. In 2020, she mounted ‘The Roast Beef is the Story,’ a presentation of paintings that thematically explored the American diner, which was mounted in the windows of the abandoned Silver Lining Diner in New York during the COVID lockdowns. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, ARTNET and TimeOut New York.
Described by Secret London as “a psychedelic paradise of neon lights and vintage signs”, God’s Own Junkyard is a multidisciplinary space in London dedicated to neon signs. Founded by the late neon artist Chris Bracey, Gods Own Junkyard has been located in Walthamstow since 2004. Showcasing a collection of more than 1,000 neon signs–ranging from signs salvaged from Soho’s risqué strip-club signs from the 1970’s to iconic Hollywood set pieces–the space broadly celebrates the history and aesthetics of neon both as a medium and material.
Katherine McMahon: Open Late runs from 10th to 19th October at God’s Own Junkyard https://www.godsownjunkyard.co.uk
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All images Copyright Katherine McMahon.
