Lindsey Adelman on the Transformative Nature of Light

To the lighting designer Lindsey Adelman, light is at once ubiquitous and precious, quotidian yet miraculous; it can be easily overlooked or taken for granted, but it also has the potential to become transformative or even otherworldly. Through her craft-forward approach, Adelman creates pieces that defy strict labels and explore the tensions between organic and industrial forms and materials, combining hand-blown glass with industrial and machine-milled components. Since launching her eponymous company in 2006, she has built a formidable business, perhaps becoming best known for her Branching Bubble chandeliers, a series that consists of glass “bubbles” elegantly mounted on the ends of brass, bronze, or nickel “branches.” Adelman also runs an experimental space called LaLAB as a means of exploring and meditating on illumination through the creation of one-off and limited-edition pieces, as well as private commissions.

On the episode, she discusses her recent decision to shift her company away from a large-scale production operation and toward a smaller, more intimate “studio” model; the great surprise of having one of her designs installed in Vice President Kamala Harris’s Washington, D.C., home; and her love of hosting.

Special thanks to our Season 10 presenting sponsor, L’École, School of Jewelry Arts.

Show notes:

Lindsey Adelman

[6:05] Ingo Maurer

[6:05] Gaetano Pesce

[7:55] Burst Chandelier

[12:22] “A Realm of Light”

[14:55] Isamu Noguchi’s Akari light sculptures

[17:20] Yosemite National Park

[18:41] James Turrell

[18:41] House of Light

[20:47] Noguchi’s “Lunar Infant”

[24:40] Writings by Agnes Martin

[26:52] Hiroshi Sugimoto

[27:46] David Lynch

[29:08] “Paul McCarthy: WS”

[29:08] Matthew Barney

[30:54] Haruki Murakami

[33:14] “A Cacao Ceremony That Brought Close Friends Even Closer”

[48:13] Branching Bubble chandelier

[48:13] Buckminster Fuller

[52:01] Adelman’s open-source D.I.Y. light project

[52:30] David Weeks

[52:30] Lunette

[52:46] “The Lighting Designer From Everyone’s Dream Brooklyn Brownstone”

[52:46] Rich People Problems

[52:46] Gwyneth Paltrow