Marta Bordes is a Spanish-born designer based out of London. She initially earned her degree in architecture from ETSAM Madrid. She worked as an architect, for a time, before becoming intrigued with products and materials. She studied ceramics in Madrid at Escuela de Cerámica Francisco Alcántara. She graduated this year with an MA in Design Ceramics, Furniture and Jewelry at Central Saint Martins.
She came charging out of the gate this year with Elastic Lights, a series of articulated lamps in ceramic with bright neon bands of elastic holding the different components in place. To our eye, they recall the VLA in New Mexico. The dish-shaped portions that hold the light fit into the main body of the lamp with a ball and socket joint. The video of these lamps in action is hypnotic. If we owned one, we’d spend hours adjusting it. She states of the project:
Elastic Lights is a collection of articulated lamps that brings movement and play into ceramics questioning the function of traditional ceramic objects.
We often see ceramics in our everyday objects but rarely as part of a mechanism. On the other hand, mechanical ceramics are widely used in advanced technology. The aim of this project is to challenge a material that is very traditional and familiar in an unconventional application that defies common assumptions about ceramics, connecting it with its technical role and enhancing the interaction with the user.
Simple geometric components linked by elastic cords reveal the function as a visual feature. The playfulness of the system invites to manipulate the lamps and enjoy the feeling of the pieces sliding smoothly around each other. Elastic Lights is a functional application of ceramics in movement, a new way of experiencing the material, playful and engaging.
Bill Rodgers is the General Editor of CFile.
Love contemporary ceramic art + design? Let us know in the comments.
Photographs courtesy of the designer.
In the video most of the movement is in constant play. I would have preferred to see a piece put into a position and the hand taken away. I say this because once in the video it looked as though there may be some pull back from the elastic once a desired position is achieved.
I love the look of these but if that would be a definite flaw in the product. I’ll explore further since I would consider purchasing this.
Thanks for your comment Ant Finn! The lamps rotate really smoothly and they can be fixed in any position in a very precise way without any pull back. The idea for the video was to show a constant dance, that’s why you never see them stopping.