I’m proud to introduce something totally new — the DEEP BLACK Lamp. 💡
Early in 2023 I started thinking about expanding the boundaries of DEEP BLACK and I decided to tackle a discipline that scared me, lighting. The hardest part of this exercise was answering the question: what does a DEEP BLACK lamp look like? I spent months sketching dozens of designs but couldn’t hit anything that I hadn’t seen before. I wanted to dig deeper and let the light, the function, guide the form. Using my own smart home as inspiration, I designed this lamp around a 6-foot smart LED light strip.
Freed from the conventions imposed by light bulbs I doubled-down on wheel-throwing and designed the “receptacle” as a unbroken circle on a stand, with the light wound around its interior to create a ceramic vessel that radiates light. I threw a hollow ring and attached it to a conical base, bearing in mind the proportions of each. With a couple of cutouts for cords I finished the frame, made of buff stoneware, in my Chef’s White glaze in a precise way that works with the light strip to increase its luminosity.
The shades covering the front and back were created very simply but intentionally. I wanted a covering that would of course filter the light but also not compete with the form of the lamp. It had to be simple to attach as well as easy to replace and not permanently attached. After creating multiple, and more complex, shades I decided to use thick metal wire to create a fitted but flexible band that cinches the fabric in place when needed and slips off easily when it’s time to change or clean the shade. This incredibly straightforward but effective system takes advantage of the strength of the ceramic frame and allows the translucent weave of the fabric do what it does best.
This lamp is a functional sculpture; the perfect balance of clay, light, glaze, tension, material, technology, context, and design. It sits at the very edge of the ever-expanding boundaries of this studio and I have many more such creations to share.
