The Right Way to Do Fluorescent Lighting

Is there any light bulb more polarizing than fluorescents? You know the bad kind all too well: They glare down unforgivingly from the ceiling of the doctor's office and most dressing rooms, a popular choice because they use such little electricity for a high level of illumination. In other words, fluorescent light is cheap. But also edgy: On the other side of the spectrum is the tube light as highbrow art piece: Think of Dan Flavin, with his neon fluorescent installations that create sculptural "situations," as he called them, brightening up gallery corners and walls, and other artists that followed suit (Robert Irwin, Keith Sonnier).