Never thought of bubble lamps as eyes! How appropriate. "The Eye is the Lamp of the Body". Biblical musings aside, the picture brought to mind George Nelson's iconic bubble lamps from the late 1940s. Like many mid-century designs, these were also inspired by the materials and stream-lined aesthetics of war and technology. Paper, glass and metal were coaxed into amazing shapes. Minimalism with a dash of flair. And at times peppered with a dash of humor too. There's also the now classic Arco Lamp designed in 1962 by Achille Castiglioni, inspired by a street light. The Arco Lamp, alas, cannot be considered strictly humorous (let's face it, nothing funny can be preceded by the word "strictly"). Elegant? Yes. Funny? No (unless you want to compare it to Mickey Mouse's ears with which it does bear a striking resemblance). And more recently, the English designer Jasper Morrison's chic Glo-Ball lamps for FLOS. When lit, a cluster of Glo-Balls magically transforms a ceiling into a starry sky. Now how fun is that? http://www.jaspermorrison.com
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Never thought of bubble lamps as eyes! How appropriate. "The Eye is the Lamp of the Body". Biblical musings aside, the picture brought to mind George Nelson's iconic bubble lamps from the late 1940s. Like many mid-century designs, these were also inspired by the materials and stream-lined aesthetics of war and technology. Paper, glass and metal were coaxed into amazing shapes. Minimalism with a dash of flair. And at times peppered with a dash of humor too. There's also the now classic Arco Lamp designed in 1962 by Achille Castiglioni, inspired by a street light. The Arco Lamp, alas, cannot be considered strictly humorous (let's face it, nothing funny can be preceded by the word "strictly"). Elegant? Yes. Funny? No (unless you want to compare it to Mickey Mouse's ears with which it does bear a striking resemblance). And more recently, the English designer Jasper Morrison's chic Glo-Ball lamps for FLOS. When lit, a cluster of Glo-Balls magically transforms a ceiling into a starry sky. Now how fun is that? http://www.jaspermorrison.com
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