Image: found object lamp 'Teakside'
This found object lamp is made from an old teak fruit bowl, a wood veneer fan, a melamine wine cooler, brass window latches, and some tapestry backing fabric. It was made possible by the new compact florescent light bulbs which have a much lower maximum temperature making the range of materials that can be used as diffusers much larger.
It takes a lot of tinkering to make unrelated objects go together to form a unified whole. Often a lamp will go unfinished until I chance upon a method or object that allows it to be finished.
I find tinkering helps me learn and apply 'first principles', the basic knowledge and skills needed to understand and work with a particular material. Many of us go through life without learning the first principles for making, restoring, and repairing.
Tinkering gives me the opportunity to experience and understand materials, tools, and methods. A good example is the early plastic melamine. Unlike many commonly available modern plastics it can be carved, sanded, cut, drilled, and refinished with linseed oil. Had I not tinkered with it I would never had known of it's unintended qualities.
Tags
Alert Moderator
Comments
1 comments
02.11.09 — Andrew Davies
Hi MG,
A big thankyou for sharing this with us on Pool! I really love the photo and the idea of the object lamp. You make some really interesting points also about the link between tinkering and 'first principles' - something I hadn't really considered before.
Andrew, Pool Team