Chances are, you probably aren’t working under something as nice as a Tizio Lamp by Richard Sapper, but most likely you’re near enough one that was highly influenced by his work, along with those of other designers like Achille Castiglioni and Ingo Mauer. The bad news is that, if you want an original, you’re probably going to have to keep working under those awful flourescent lights at your day job for the next seventy-five years, saving every dime all the while. The good news is that now you can buy and assemle damn fine homages to them from The Designer Emulation Kitscompany. Well, not yet, but they say they’ll be out soon. From the mouth of creator, Mark McKenna:
The Designer Emulation Kits (DEKs for short) are meant as the sincerest homage to some of the greatest modern designers of our time. The lamps and designers being emulated have a particular importance. They are represented in countless design tomes extolling the various movements, and they are held up as prime examples of good design.We revere these objects, but they are also a bane and a challenge. How can we ever measure up to the genius of Castiglioni, or the sheer concentrated emotion of Maurer? The truth is we cannot. We have to find our own voices, our own vision.
Our DEKs might not help us decide which way to go, but at least they let us laugh at ourselves along the way.
Educated as a ceramist, Magnussen was only 20 when he designed tea and coffee sets for the Danish porcelain manufacturer Bing & Grøndahl. He had already received the prestigious Lunning Prize for his works when he was invited from Stelton to design the vacuum jug. All the attributes connected to the work of its designer Erik Magnussen can be found in this classic piece of design: functionality, ease of use and minimalistic beauty. Stelton vacuum jug’s genious technical innovation is its unique rocker stopper that opens automatically when pouring and shuts when the vacuum jug is put back to the table. The vacuum jug designed by Magnussen became soon a success and is still today one of Stelton's best selling designs.
Originally launched in stainless steel, since 1979 the vacuum jug has been produced also in ABS plastic in different colours becoming a fashion icon. Stelton launches the vacuum jug in new colours every spring and autumn. Throughout the time the vacuum jug has been produced in more than 30 colours, which are often that particular season’s colours. This way this Scandinavian design classic gets a new appearance twice a year.
The vacuum jug has received the Danish Design Award in 2007. Erik Magnussen's designs are exhibited in museums throughout the world and he has received several design awards.
So…it was just this past Friday that we did a little shopping for arc floor lamps. Today, I want to focus on the Arco Floor Lamp by Achille & Pierre Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962. This is one of the most iconic pieces of mid-century modern lighting, behind Mariano Fortuny’s Floor Lamp and various George Nelson Pendant Lamps, in my opinion.
It is a lovely lamp with a marble base, beveled so you don’t cut your forehead on the edges, and a steel/aluminum body. Unlike other floor lamps, this lamp, because of its size, can provide overhead lighting in an ambient setting. And because the arco floor lamp extends 8′ into any space, you can use it to light larger areas like a living room or dining area (just like you’d do with overhead lighting.)
Alexander Backer Co. (ABCO) manufactures and sells art items and collectibles such as figurines, dolls, carvings, and sculpture. This company is based in New York and their products are identifiable by means of the ABCO sticker found on them. These products also have the ABCO name distinctly present on them. Alexander Backer Co. sells online a product range that includes plaques, busts, statue, vase, bowls, toothpick holders, and piggy banks. He uses material like chalk, metal, porcelain, and ceramic for his works. These products are sleek-looking gift items that range from light miniature pieces to large and heavy collectibles such as a massive pair of oriental heads (male and female) that have a huge opening in their heads and brown felt on the bottom. The main feature of this pair of oriental busts is the gold-painted crown featured on the lady's head. Most of the items marketed by ABCO are of human and animal forms such as important-looking ladies, queens, dogs, and pigs. Items made by Alexander Backer are excellent gift items for those who appreciate art and sculpture. They are generally handmade and well-crafted products, whose production is done with considerable amount of effort and care. These products are available in different colors and shades, which only enhance their beauty. ABCO ensures that the packaging for these items protect them adequately at the time of delivery. There is an ever-increasing demand for these vintage
