studio august

The candela is defined as a single unit of light and is originally derived from the candle as a measure of light intensity. Nowadays there are many other units and tools to measure light but the candela is still considered valid despite candlelight falling away as a primary light source. Yet the candle still has a magical quality that connects us to our primal selves much like a wood fire does. This series of design investigations centre around the candle and how different materials can react and augment the characteristics of candle light. Through various experiments in my workshop I have developed a range of objects that explore different qualities of candlelight, which offer a new understanding of the humble candle. Each object is conceived as a single gesture, with much thought given to materials and how they connect to each other.

Client:

Exhibited at A New Wave exhibition at Southern Guild Gallery in August 2016

The concrete used for the construction of the Eddystone lighthouse in 1793 catapulted the use of the material into its commercial form as we know it today. This relationship between light and concrete is the basis of “BEAM”.

Conceived as a beam of light that cuts through a solid concrete mass, the design mimics the form and directional light of a lighthouse yet it does away with a visible light source. This allows one to look into the beam and perceive the hollowed out interior space of the concrete where the texture and colour of the material provide a unique tactile visual experience. The concrete shapes the light and the light in turn shapes the concrete, creating an interrelation between the two. It is, in essence, a meditation on the intrinsic qualities of concrete (heavy, solid, impermeable) and light (ephemeral, intangible, magical) fused into a single object.

Concrete, light components

Client:

PPC Imaginarium Competition 2015/2016

Winner of Industrial Design category

The brief for this competition was to design a luminaire based on the game of ROCK - PAPER - SCISSORS. The concept developed from the nature of the game which is all about chance, possiblity and uncertainty. A random switch was developed to control three light sources at random. When the switch is activated, any one of the three light sources is selected without the knowledge of the user. The light becomes like the game - unpredictable and compelling. This interactivity is at the root of the concept. The design further explored different kinds of light - uplight, texture and colour glow. Laboratory equipment is referenced to present
a machine-like scene obscured by a glass screen.

Mildsteel, Glass, Electronics, electrical and lighting components

500mm x 350mm x 150mm

Client:

Competition entry for VISI Haute Lumiere
Design Competition 2011. 2nd Prize

This luminaire is one of three designs that explores creative ways of controlling light intensity. The idea originated from the circular form and motion that is common in the everyday dimmer switch reinterpreted in a mechanical interplay between contained and escaping light. By turning the table, the light intensity will increase or decrease, creating different light and shadow effects in the surrounding surfaces.

How this idea is expressed in this specific design is by using two cylinders with matching openings at random intervals and a light source inside.

900mm x 450mm

Birch plywood, steel base, lighting components

Client:

Entered into VISI Haute Lumiere competition 2009 and won a trip to Lights in Alingsas Festival in Alingsas, Sweden

This installation is a meditation on the Karoo landscape at night, offering an alternate reality/fantasy. Nightlife in this arid landscape is filled with strange sights and sounds that reveal a vibrant world that is asleep during the day. The form of the ubiquitous fencepost is taken as a point of departure as these posts are such a part of the Karoo – creating boundaries. In this fantasy these fenceposts come alive at night, responding to movement in their own way. As visitors enter the installation space, the tall “fenceposts” are activated through motion. Various light conditions are created as they move around and through the posts, creating different spatial experiences and bathing visitors in light. The inside face creates a sacred quality that is calm and pensive while the outside face projects coloured or textured light onto the walls. In contrast to the hot, baking festival outside, this installation recreates a night scene that evokes the eerie quality of the Karoo.

Pine plywood, black stain, steel base, lighting & electronic components

2300mm x 130mm x 80mm

Client:

Made for a group exhibition at the KKNK arts festival in Oudtshoorn in March 2016.

An opportunity to take evening classes in the craft of jewellery led to an ongoing fascination and awareness of this realm. Creating forms through manual techniques require techincal rigour and mindfulness of the material - important aspects that influence my practice.

Materials:
Silver, Wood, Bamboo, Resin

A chance encounter with some black binding wire on a construction site led to the creation of this work. Due to the softness of the wire one can use it as a kind of three dimensional sketch that allows one to explore form and volume in a very direct fashion. This work was also inspired to some extent by the work of Alexander Calder who famously sat down on the opening day of his solo exhibition to make every piece in the gallery. A mixture of furniture and abstract sculptural forms were investigated with this work.

Materials: Steel binding wire

Dimensions:
Various 120mm x 120mm x 120mm max
Made in 2005

These pieces are an extension of the wire sculpture thinking where the material is manipulated to develop a form as a three dimensional sketch. Exploring shape and volume other compositional aspects was at the root of these studies.

Materials: Mildsteel sheet 0.5mm/0.9mm
Dimensions:
Various 120mm x 120mm x 120mm max
Made in 2006