Lighting Up Ideas!

SARAH ANGOLD

As a London based designer, she creates simply stunning  jewellery and pendant lights made from laser cut Perspex.  We have similar interests; geometry, repetition and materials.

TOM DIXON

Experiments with mathematics and geometry using an irregular pentagon shape repeated 60 times to create a sphere.  ETCH WEB is a vast 65cm wide shade made from stainless steel, with an unusual open structure, designed to cast atmospheric angular shadows when lit. 
A different material and a different design concept using geometry - I find this beautifully simple.

JAMES BARTLETT

Bartlett, as a London based 3D designer, created the collection Portland through his desire to change perceptions about concrete. The design mixes the matt tones of cast grey concrete exterior with bright spring like colours on its interior. Its pentagonal jewel-like shape is designed to work well in groups, in clusters, lines or patterns.

LUKAS DAHLEN

Sheet metal have the same characteristics as paper when it comes to folding. Dahlen has created an original tessellated pattern and forms lampshades that reflects the light downwards with a light coloured by the golden brass.

The metal is cut with photo-etching, which also cuts halfway through the sheet to create the creases for the folding. A different pattern is used for each side of the sheet to allow the metal to fold in the desired direction.

ALLISON PATRICK

These pendant lamps were created by an architecture graduate Allison Patrick, based in New York.  She constructs these lamp shades from hundreds of folded paper fortune tellers formed around a pre-existing paper lantern.

frantaagi

Do-It-Yourself Design - created this range of lampshades based on a basic origami pattern - allowing the individual to construct it, blurring the line between creator and consumer.

Modules

Modules - starting with a basic fold

I folded this simple shape from plain white paper to explore possibilities of ways it could stand.

By making another, I photographed the combinations how they could fit / stand together.

I discovered many possibilities by fiddling around with this structure and photographing the outcomes.  By the end, I considered how the separates could be joined, so I stitched some points together (which became hidden) and created this dome-like structure.  I thought this was particularly interesting shape, rather like a Xmas decoration or like a jelly-fish…

But I do not feel satisfied by the way it connects with the ‘ground’ – it does not lie flat / level.

By balancing on its points, it looks un-sturdy, which does not matter at this scale, but might be a concern at a larger scale. 

The next material I tested was a light weight ply-wood – I laser cut the pieces and really liked the singed edges and the quality of the material. I simply taped the edges together which was unsuccessful because the corners stuck out and the base lines did not connect with the ground.

The work of Elisa Strozyk - a German designer - greatly inspires me.  She makes 'wooden textiles' - using a geometric system she transforms a rigid material into flexible products.

http://www.elisastrozyk.de/seite/woodtex/woodentextiles.html

Inspiration - Olafur Elisson

I bought this book; ‘Studio Olafur Eliasson: An Encyclopedia’.

As I educated myself about this artist, I felt in awe of his creations and amazed by his concepts, because they were so closely related to my ideas.

I felt as if someone had delved into my greatest ambitions, and had already created them 10 years ago!  

Triangular Reflections

I started this project by challenging myself to complete Spread Hexagons - a pattern taken from Origami Tessellations - Awe Inspiring Geometric Designs by Eric Gjerde.

At times I felt completely helpless, not knowing which crease to flatten or twist in which direction.  The more frustrated I became the more I forced the paper which consequently crumpled and became dirty.  I feel satisfied to have completed it but questioning whether or not I want to repeat this pattern?

My initial thoughts regarding “imagery” for this project were using a kaleidoscope. I found my mother’s antique kaleidoscope which had broken, enabling me to think about the internal construction and how the patterns are generated. Below is a picture taken through the triangular tube looking out of my studio window.  The joins between the edges of glass did not create smooth reflections.  This was the beginning of a little obsession I developed looking a reflections…

I began by learning how to make a kaleidoscopic pattern on Photoshop, and designed a grid.  Using my own photograph of keys, I developed this into pattern.  I think the result is quite interesting because other patterns appear and new shapes evolve.

‘Cabane de Reflexion’ Etienne Rey, Marseille, France

I found this construction very powerful - the use of reflective materials is an interesting concept I want to incorporate into my project.

I laser cut mirror Perspex and using spray mount and super glue stuck it to a piece of Tyvek.  The super glue worked well to keep the corners from defiance.

I think these photographs I took in my studio are much more interesting than the experimental tessellation.

Questioning myself

I began my project last October by answering this set of questions. 

When I felt at all overwhelmed by my ideas or other people's suggestions,

I referred to the answers I had written to regain my focus.

•What interests you?

•Repeat patterns, multiples, order

•What are your core ideas?

•Manipulation – using my hands

•Audience – how does your audience receive your work?

•In awe – amazement

•Why?

•My experiences of showing off craftsmanship

•Why are you doing it?

•For my own pleasure, to discover and develop my own creative practice

•What do you want to achieve

•To learn new skills well enough to teach

•What are you going to do?

•Explore the relationship between folded imagery and folded manipulations

•What does success look like?

•Something big and awe inspiring

•How do you achieve success?

•Learning through making, testing, developing

•What are you actually going to do?

•Explore my relationship with precision

Tessellating Windows

Work commenced in July 2012

After learning very basic techniques for tessellating I began exploring my own ideas - how to apply imagery to fit into the creased shapes.

I engineered a system for 'cutting and pasting' parts of an image to fit into the design.

For the first print I used tracing paper and I was pleased with the overall appearance.  The effect was a subtle change in scale between the two layers and the quality of light through the paper.

I observed other people interacting with the piece and I decided to develop the design so that the 'corners' could connect with other squares.  The design eventually looked like an "all over" picture with a hidden layer of windows leaving the viewer wondering.

For the next design, I used the 'waterbomb' pattern to create concertina-like boxes.  By printed a photograph onto the design before folding it, I engineered a window to fit in each protruding square.  Alternatively I used CAD to create the illusion of a 3-dimensional object and printed it - this created a very different effect.

This photograph reminded me very much of a woven pattern - I folded this print with the intention of creating an illusion of a weave.

The concept produced further interesting images when curled it into a tube. 

I experimented with joining tessellated sections and developed the idea further using my photographs of windows - these rectangular images were divided by the underlying tessellated pattern which also created a more interesting perspective / effect.

I chose to pleat this photograph because it had vertical lines which gave me a pattern to follow - it created a very rich effect when I concentrated the blocks of colour.