You may have seen the inspiration for Karman studio and Matteo Ugolini’s Work-in-Progress lamps the last time you had a plumber over to your house. These lights take their look from portable working lamps with hard plastic diffusers and a 20-foot long extension cord dangling from the back.
Add some porcelain and a little decoration, though, and the design becomes something else entirely.
Any mechanic who has ever hooked a work light with its bulb-guard onto the chassis of an automobile knows the importance of the helpmate’s indispensable glow. Matteo Ugolini has turned the workhorse into a knockout by taking its shape and beautifying its scooped shell and handle with sculptural flowers. Naming it the Work in Progress pendant, let’s just say the sexy demeanor with which he infused this design is as complete as any work of art could ever be!
Design is about marrying aesthetics to utility. The art is in making something that is both useful and beautiful. The reverse is that we can sometimes recognize beauty in the mundane, which is what this project accomplished. Art is elevated by the utility of the common lamp and the common worker’s lamp is elevated by art.
About the Designer
Italian lighting manufacturer Karman is a collective of talented designers with an avant-garde approach to branding, according to the studio. Founded in 2005, Karman—true to its word—is creating a collection of lights bearing soul. Karman’s products are included in the Global Lighting Stratos Collection. Karman’s stand at Euroluce in Milan in 2014 created such a stir, it was buzzing as busily as if the beautiful flora Matteo Ugolini had brought to the fir was filled with bees! The company is making a name for itself where the creativity of its branding is concerned, which is one of the reasons we are happy to bring their products to North America.
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