MELBOURNE, Australia— A spiritual ceramic sequel to his aluminum “Aura” lamp, Australian designer Ross Gardam created the “Polar” desk lamp. The lamp premiered at this year’s Milan Design Week with its aluminum cousin in the Ventura Lambrate district.
Photographs courtesy of the designer.
The handmade base was crafted using traditional slip casting and bisque firing and is left unglazed. The base uses magnets and a friction disc to attach an arm that holds a shade that can be rotated across the light source to adjust brightness. The studio told Dezeen that the design was inspired by the phases of the moon. The disc comes in white, blue, pink and gold finishes. “Polar” has a soft, minimal look and it communicates its purpose and function easily.
“Polar is an alternate archetype for a desk lamp in both form and functionality,” said Gardam. “The gold mirror finish allows Polar to expand its functionality creating a lit place for reflection.”
Above video hosted by Dezeen.
By contrast, the Aura uses a gold diffuser to rotate on a pivot 360 degrees around its light source.
The Ross Gardam furniture and lighting company was founded in 2007. Their products are hand crafted in Melbourne by local artisans and makers who pair traditional crafting techniques with high end manufacturing technology. Each design is created by Ross Gardam, who wants them to “embody a unique contemporary aesthetic.”
Do you love or loathe this work of contemporary ceramics? Let us know in the comments.
Add your valued opinion to this post.