“In 1951 Isamu Noguchi visited the Japanese town of Gifu, known for its manufacture of lanterns and umbrellas from the mulberry bark paper and bamboo. Inspired by the lanterns illuminating night fishing on the Nagara River, Noguchi designed the first of his lamps that would be produced by the traditional Gifu methods of construction. He called these works Akari, a term meaning light as illumination, but also implying the idea of weightlessness. Extending the concept of illuminated sculpture that he developed during the 1940s in New York, Noguchi employed abstract shapes to unite the simplicity of Japanese aesthetics with the principles of contemporary art and design. More that home furnishing, Akari are light sculptures.

“With the warm glow of light cast through hand-made paper on a bamboo frame, Isamu Noguchi utilized traditional Japanese materials to bring modern design to the home. Like the beauty of falling leaves and the cherry blossom, Noguchi wrote, Akari are ‘poetic, ephemeral, and tentative.’ And he was fond of saying, ‘All that you require to start a home are a room, a tatami, and Akari.’ ”

View all Noguchi Lamps

Marcel Wanders, born in the Netherlands, has become famous for his fabulous creations in design.  One of my favourite pieces is the Skygarden Suspension Lamp.  It looks like a boring, plain, semi-spherical lamp from a distance, but if you have a chance – look up inside!

Inspired by an antique plaster ceiling in a former home, Wanders captured the essence of classical plaster design inside a modern, sleek exterior.

The Skygarden comes in two sizes; the S1 (w60cm  x h30cm), or the S2 (w90cm  x h45cm).  It is also available in 4 colours: Rust, Gold, White and Black.

Marcel designed the lamp for Flos, who still carries the lamp today.

Tizio LED

The Tizio lamp was originally designed in 1972.  Now redesigned in 2009 by Richard Sapper as a LED Tizio Version.  5 led bulbs using only 8 watts of power.  Equivalent to 55 watt halogen bulb.

Like Marcel Duchamp, the Castiglioni brothers used ready-made objects to create whimsical, strange and beautiful objects.  Luminator by Flos,  is magnificent.

Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni 1954

  It is industrial and sparse,  delicate and insect like (praying mantas).  Like sculpture, it provoke a response from the viewer.  It refuses to  sit quietly.  Italian mid-century design  seems to have a passion, or an enthusiasm, that life, and design, is best lived LARGE, and with a sense of humour.  NO HOLDS BARRED.

Modernica decides to reissue Criss Cross Bubble Lamp in Cigar, Ball and Pear shapes.  The Criss Cross was the last of George Nelson Bubble Lamps that Modernica reintroduced.

Criss Cross Pear Bubble Lamp

Modernica recently blogged “Criss Cross Revived!”, comparing “Kris Kross” the 90’s hip hop group, with the latest reissued Criss Cross Bubble Lamps.

Both are iconic and unique.  Those kids were electric and their hit was one of catchiest songs at dance clubs at that time.  They also created a crazy fashion trend.  Kids wore their jeans backwards and were jumping to the song.  Maybe the two Chris’ or ” mack daddies” of Kris Kross will make their own comeback someday soon and we’ll  see kids wearing their jeans backwards and bringing jiggedy back.

http://modernica.wordpress.com/2009/05/11/criss-cross-revived/

Hot desking became prominent in the 1990’s to describe sharing a workspace.  This originated from “hot bunking” which was a naval term used to describe sharing a bunk when out at sea.  Hot Desking [to hotdesk] is where workers do not have their own desks, but are allocated work space according to their needs.

Now with the price of mobile devices going down, and the increase in accessibility to mobile internet, many workspaces are being tailored  to laptops/notebooks as a primary computer.

Humanscale, being the leader in office ergonomics and the pioneer of advanced notebook stands has teamed up with Niels Diffrient again.  They have designed another task light, now with power and internet called Humanscale Diffrient Technology Light Table Lamp.

Humanscal Diffrient Light with sockets

Humanscale Diffrient Table Lamp with Sockets

I say “Long and Hard” and what comes to mind? Of course it would be a freakishly amazing new modern lighting fixture with beautiful molded outer surfaces that look like liquid metal by Philippe Starck for FLOS. Whew… that was a mouthful.

When I learned of this cleverly named light, I was reminded of an image I stumbled upon in a Cassina publication involving Mr. Starck, again, alluding to the act that shall not be named. Okay…… sex. Leather handles attached to a Prive sofa? What could those possibly be used for? It may have been the naked woman’s arm draped inside the handle in the photograph that tipped me off. For those less inclined to bomp sha bomp in restraints, it can also be ordered sans the handcuffs.

sex is a beautiful thing.

UPDATE 2009/04/29:  A retraction… of sorts/err… advisory of sorts.  So… don’t set your heart on the Long and Hard light fixture. Turns out it wasn’t the most appropriate blog subject for this geographic… not available in the North American market But still very cool.

Golden Yellow Caboche

Foscarini offers a creation that cannot merely be defined an addition to the range, but is a project with its own personality that makes it totally different from the previous transparent version. The warmth of the new colour lights up the transparency of the material – polymethylmethacrylate – creating a lamp that is even richer and more splendid and accentuating its decorative ability. Encouraged by the commercial and media success of Caboche lamp, Foscarini is ready to focus on the collection once again, with a light centred on the colour of the sphere, now a golden yellow. The brilliancy and transparency typical of the range remain unaltered, thanks to a perfectly calibrated chromatic density. The basic structure of the ring form, on which the spheres are anchored and the upper and lower screens in white satinised glass that govern the light source also remain unaltered. Unlike the transparent version with its understated richness, Caboche Golden Yellow will satisfy the transversal taste of those who love sophisticated, evident luxury. Since 2005, the year which saw the debut of Caboche in its hanging version, followed in 2006 by the floor, table, wall and ceiling versions, Foscarini has produced millions of brilliant spheres. Patricia Urquiola’s idea, inspired by a bracelet and transformed into a rich and multi-faceted lamp, immediately revealed the innovative aspect that is the basis of every successful project: a precious form and a perfect fusion of different individuality that together create the body and the luminous effect of the lamp. Light becomes the protagonist, thanks to the crown of spheres in which every single one produces a completely different image. Design by Patricia Urquiola and Eliana Gerotto.

italiandesign360.com

I walked around the showroom for months not noticing this lamp, and then one day I saw it, and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.  It’s quiet and understated, but in a powerful and poetic way ( like a haiku).  I love all the different forms it can morph into and it slightly reminds me of an old school Star Trek model (just for the record, I am not a Treki, not that I have anything against Trekies.  Naoto Fukasawa (say it out loud, it feels beautiful in your mouth) distilled something magnificent here.

mymodernistlife