Light, As Art
The mission of art is to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and explore how different elements interact and come together to create a whole. When it comes to furniture, the attitude and mission of designers is much the same. Most pieces, however, rely on functionality and pose creative limits. But the floor lamp, pendant, and chandelier are a frontier of creative allowances that have been played with and examined by leading brands and designers in the lighting industry, giving us a spectacular look at how something so simple as a lamp can be transformed into art.
Crossing Functionality & Art
When a piece like the Toio Floor Lamp from Flos is introduced into a space, the eye is drawn to its basic parts: the light bulb, the simple metal stand, the wire connecting it all. But on closer inspection, the Toio Floor Lamp’s whimsical nature is revealed, and the observer is convinced of the playful genius of its designers, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni.
Using elements like a boat cleat and fishing rod rings, the Castiglioni brothers were able to construct a highly functional light feature from ordinary items originally created for a whole different purpose. Creativity doesn’t just mean using unusual building blocks, but also the shape and subtle detail. For example, the Skygarden Dimmable Pendant Light hides an intricate plasterwork floral pattern inside the shade, delighting anyone who stands beneath it.
By reimagining the extraneous elements of something so functional as the light, what starts as a necessity becomes a center piece blurring the lines between functionality and art.
"Decoration does not need to be restricted to objects you hang on the wall, but can also form an integral part of more functional objects, such as a table or a lamp.” -- Vibeke Fonnesberg Schmidt
Bubble, Bau, & Vertigo
Making art an integral part of daily life takes it beyond its wall and frame and puts something like the lamp in the position to be admired from all angles, as well as a companion to everyday tasks. The Nelson Bubble Pendant Light from Herman Miller® stretches the imagination in a playful take on the traditional chandelier. Covered in a semi-transparent plastic material, the original chandelier framework can be seen pressing through, giving it the signature ghost-like impression.
Pendants like the Bau Lamp play with shapes and shadows, giving the viewer a different shape from every perspective. Interlocking round wooden pieces, the Bau has a weightless, bubble-like aesthetic and minimalist expression that is balanced perfectly with its sculptural nature. Contrast the compact Bau with the airy, flowing movements and freedom of the Vertigo Pendant Lamp and you can see the expansive, endless possibilities when artistic expression is allowed to influence the more practical side of design.
From large chandeliers that illuminate commercial lobbies to small table lamps that punctuate a cozy living room, HORNE has a wide selection of light fixtures and features that offer a dose of art to contemporary spaces.
