Paul Hartigan was born in New Plymouth, New Zealand, in 1953. As a teenager Hartigan was influenced by a high school art teacher, Tom Kreisler, who encouraged the exploration of unconventional attitudes and subject matter in making art. Hartigan studied at the Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland University, from 1971 to 1973, where he gained a Diploma of Fine Arts. In Australia in 1974, Hartigan trained in commercial screen printing, specifically in the art of hand-printed wallpaper. He has long been fascinated by the potential of different media and stretching their limits in his art practice, working variously with conventional printmaking and painting techniques, while simultaneously mastering the demands of neon illumination. Hartigan has exhibited regularly as a solo artist in New Zealand and since the 1970s has been included in significant exhibitions of contemporary New Zealand art.

Hartigan is renowned for his work in neon illumination. He was introduced to the medium in 1970 when viewing Real Time, an installation by Leon Narbey at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand. The thrill of witnessing neon as art, combined with Hartigan's enjoyment of comic book art, was a formative influence on his later work. In addition to creating neon art works, Hartigan has also produced neon for commercial clients.

The work Fountain of Youth comprises triple overlays of glass tubing over white painted metal. Through this, the artist has wired an electrical circuit which makes the lights flicker when activated. Sprays of light wash over the work like water bursting forth from a fountain's source. The vivid colours, the object's projection from the wall, and the flickering light combine to convey the vivacity implicit in the title.