Argon Mist - Rod Lathim

“Argon Mist”

Clarinet Section, neon, wood base

7” W x 7” D x 23” T

“Argon Mist” is a sculptural meditation on sound made visible and memory made luminous. A reclaimed section of clarinet rises from a wooden base, its bell turned skyward as if still listening for breath. From this opening, clear neon glass unfurls in a slow, spiraling gesture—looping, drifting, and finally cascading back down around the instrument. Illuminated by argon gas, the glass emits a soft blue-green glow, an otherworldly light that feels both elemental and enchanted.

Argon, a naturally occurring gas found on Earth, becomes the unseen force animating the work. Its gentle radiance traces the imagined path of music as it leaves the clarinet—an abstract visualization of sound waves suspended in time. The glowing glass suggests motion without noise, capturing the energy, rhythm, and emotional resonance of music long after the last note has faded.

There is a sense of quiet magic embedded in the piece. The flowing light recalls the mythic presence of Merlin, as though the instrument has been touched by an inspired spell—enchanted to forever release an eternal current of creative energy. “Argon Mist” stands as a beacon of transformation: sound into light, breath into form, and a once-played instrument into a vessel of enduring wonder.