Stern, Rudi 1936-2006

(Rudolph George Stern)

OBITUARY NOTICE—

See index for CA sketch: Born November 30, 1936, in New Haven, CT; died of complications from lung cancer, August 15, 2006, in Cadiz, Spain. Artist and author. Stern was noted as a lighting expert who did work for concerts and theaters, as well as for championing the art of neon lights and reviving the popularity of neon signs. He studied to be a painter originally, earning a B.A. at Bard College in 1958 and an M.A. from the University of Iowa in 1960. Moving to Manhattan, he was influenced by artist Jackie Cassen, with whom he formed a partnership. The two worked on lighting for installation art pieces and in the 1960s became known for creating light shows for LSD guru Timothy Leary. In 1969, Stern cofounded a performance art studio and experimental video center called the Global Village, and three years later he founded the Let There Be Neon Workshop in New York City. By the time Stern was becoming enamored of old neon signs, the craft had fallen into disfavor. But Stern revived it, and enjoyed using neon in all types of signage and artworks. Much of his income actually came from producing neon advertising; more artistically, he designed neon and other forms of lighting for everything from rock concerts to operas and Broadway shows. Later in his career, he became interested in movies and video. He had already been advocating the use of video in art presentations as early as the 1970s, but by the 1990s Stern was also making documentary films, such as Haiti: Killing the Dream (1992). Stern was the author of two books about his passion: Let There Be Neon (1977) and The New Let There Be Neon (1988).

OBITUARIES AND OTHER SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Los Angeles Times, August 21, 2006, p. B9.

New York Times, August 18, 2006, p. C10.