“When you’re a lamp maker, everything is a shade,” says independent designer Christopher Tennant, of Tennant New York, speaking to Elle Decor. It’s that kind of freewheeling attitude that has given rise to the current wave of sometimes wacky, always eye-catching statement lighting sweeping New York and beyond.
Tennant, Avram Rusu and Autumn Casey were among the creators displaying offbeat lighting collections at the recent Collectible Design Fair. While Tennant presented archetypal lamp forms in unusual natural-material combinations, including shells, bamboo, leather, plaster and marble, Rusu brought inventive biophilic chandeliers that looked almost otherworldly, and Casey offered fixtures made largely of resin that were cartoonish riffs on Tiffany lamps.
This fall, design lovers can visit a slew of shows across New York featuring compelling light fixtures. Starting October 16 in Manhattan, Lorin Silverman’s hand-blown glass pieces will be on view at Donzella Ltd. and Carmen D’Apollonio’s drooping lamps will be exhibited at Friedman Benda. Meanwhile, upstate in Peekskill, the Russel Wright Design Center and R Company will be presenting Jeff Zimmerman‘s creations at Wright’s estate, Manitoga. The sun may be setting earlier each day now, but it’s safe to say New York’s design scene is well illuminated.
