Michael Hayden (artist)

For other uses, see Michael Hayden.

Michael Hayden (born January 15, 1943) is a Canadian artist who is noted for his artworks incorporating neon lighting. He preferred to use the term 'products' rather than artworks.^[2]

Sky's the Limit at O'Hare International Airport.^[1] The walkway is part of the United Airlines terminal that was designed by Helmut Jahn, and which has been listed as one of America's 150 favorite structures by the American Institute of Architects.

Career

Hayden was born in Vancouver, British Columbia,^[3][4] the son of a designer who moved to Toronto with his family. Hayden attended the Ontario College of Art and while there created a ten-room presentation of sights, sounds, and smells, called "Mind Excursion".^[5] His best-known commission is Sky's the Limit (1987) at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago's United Airlines terminal (see photograph).^[1][6] Other prominent commissions include Arc en Ciel (1978),^[7] which was formerly installed at Yorkdale subway station in Toronto, York Electric Murals at York University Libraries,^[8][9] and Quadrille (1996),^[10] which is installed on a building in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Hayden's work is in the public collections of many museums, including the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa;^[11] and the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.^[12]

References

1. Stern, Rudi (1990). Contemporary Neon. Retail Reporting Corp. ISBN 978-0-934590-37-2. California artist Michael Hayden was selected to design a lighting sculpture synchronized with music and orchestrated with architecture. Hayden's solution, Sky's the Limit, uses 466 neon tubes and extends 744 feet.
2. A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 (online only), by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker National Gallery of Canada / Musée des beaux-arts du Canada
3. Allen, Karyn Elizabeth. "Michael Hayden". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on October 5, 2012.
4. Coupe, Alison (2010). Michelin Green Guide: Canada. Michelin. p. 56. ISBN 978-1-906261-75-7.
5. A Dictionary of Canadian Artists, volumes 1-8 by Colin S. MacDonald, and volume 9 (online only), by Anne Newlands and Judith Parker National Gallery of Canada / Musée des beaux-arts du Canada
6. Miles, Malcolm (1997). Art, Space, and the City: Public Art and Urban Futures. Psychology Press. p. 135. ISBN 978-0-415-13943-4. Among the most ambitious examples of airport art are Michael Hayden's Sky's the Limit at Chicago's United Airlines terminal...
7. Barr, Vilma (1992). The Best of Neon: Architecture, Interiors, Signs. Rockport Allworth Editions. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-935603-60-6. A spectacular display of rainbow colors is produced by neon tubes in the skylight from an electronic sculpture called "Arc en ciel" by artist Michael Hayden.
8. Greenwood, Michael (August–September 1971). "Hayden's light/sound escalator at York University, Toronto". artscanada (158–159): 40–43.
9. Hayden, Michael. "Recording of musical component of Michael Hayden's York Electric Murals : original sound recording". York Digital Libraries. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
10. Clinard, Leigh Pressley; Distl, Craig (2009). Insiders' Guide to Charlotte: 11th Edition. Globe Pequot. p. 159. ISBN 978-0-7627-5312-3.
11. "Michael Hayden". www.gallery.ca. National Gallery of Canada. Retrieved 1 May 2022.
12. "Michael Hayden". torontoist.com. Torontoist. Retrieved 1 May 2022.

Further reading

• Schiess, Christian (1994). The Light Artist Anthology: Neon and Related Media. ST Media Group International. ISBN 978-0-944094-00-6. This book includes photographs of Hayden's works and an interview with Hayden.
• Greenwood, Michael (August–September 1971). Hayden's light/sound escalator at York University, Toronto." artscanada, 158–159.