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Lighting becomes brilliant as wizards of wattage cast an illuminating spell.
Showing design in a new light, today's designers produce emotional objets d'art that are more than mere sources of illumination.
Light is the very essence of our being; substance for the soul. It can enliven the dullest area, bringing warmth and life to even the most simple spaces. While daylight may be the prime consideration from an architectural perspective, during winter months, the right lighting can create depth and atmosphere.
No longer purely functional fixtures, lighting has become more sculptural, even artistic. It not only illuminates a showpiece, in many cases it is the showpiece. Artists such as James Turrell and Michael Asher have been utilizing light as a visual medium since the 1960s, while Master of light Ingo Maurer has managed to successfully bridge the gap between art and functionality. As the first designer to bring LED lighting into the home with the 1997 Belissima Bruta lamp, over the last 40 years Ingo Maurer has become one of the world's most respected leaders in the art of lighting, producing iconic designs, such as the 1966 Bulb and the beautifully ethereal Delirium Yum, unveiled earlier this year.
As a pioneer of light technology, Maurer has paved the way for a new generation of alchemists, such as Paul Cocksedge, whose experiments with alternative materials, such as gin and neon gas earned him the Bombay Sapphire design award in 2003. It is his unfailing curiosity and desire to explore further possibilities, creating spectacular results, which sets him apart from his contemporaries.
Energy efficiency has become a key factor in design, motivating today's designers to revisit Maurer's early discovery, exploring further possibilities of LED lighting within the home. Its versatility, low heat emission and energy efficiency has brought it into the spotlight once again, not only for use an an
ambient effect, but as multi-functional task lighting too. Herman Miller's new Leaf LED tabletop lamp designed by Yves Béhar, which took three years to develop, features an integrated microprocessor operated by a touch sensitive control wheel, offering limitless light possibilities for every mood.
Materialise MGX uses new technologies to create light in sculptural forms. The company has been working with rapid prototype processes for the past 15 years, and combines this with the use of 3D software to manufacture award-winning products that have been hailed as the future of design.
The integration of lighting within furniture has become a growing trend, particularly as the LED's low heat output, long life and low running costs, brings new possibilities. Junko Misawa's Lumi Furniture features delicate diodes interwoven, emitting spectacular patterns, enlivening and embellishing furniture and furnishings; even rugs glow underfoot. These magnificent makers of light mark the way for design's bright future.