Arbol Glass Chandelier Light
My work often begins with the memory of place. Arbol is the Spanish word for tree. Much earlier in my career, I would go for walks in the forest to focus on work. Walking in this environment, I became aware of the light and illumination within the forest. Light would "move" through the leafy canopy above me or define a space, like an ethereal and temporal architecture within the forest. So the Arbol luminaire is the memory of that place, gazing up to the sky through the forest.
Handcrafting every element within one's work is "the secret history" of the piece. There is so much more to making the work than meets the eye, and it is the process that creates the bond a maker has with the object created.
The blown glass lighting components are shaped by hand and in a separate process abraded by hand on a grinding lathe. The abrading prohibits the refraction of light through the glass and "catches" the light within the piece. The result is a frosty ethereal glow when lit.
To create the framework for the luminaire, I was interested in transforming the metal from its unmistaken industrial origin (a steel tube) to something almost puckered and moulded by human touch. This was achieved by squeezing the tubing in a fly press and vice. The tubing was transformed to something nearly organic, reminiscent of a tree limb by doing only this simple action. The metal parts were fabricated and soldered together with the final stage of blacking and waxing to give life and a character to the surface.
I strive to create work that accentuates the character of the material. The object the viewer sees is my last interaction with the material.
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The Arbol Light is fully customisable and can be configured as a vertical piece for an open stairwell or a multi-tiered ‘canopy’ for a reception area or foyer. Please contact the The New Craftsmen for more information.
Arbol Light by Michael Ruh for The New Craftsmen.
Photograph of Arbol Light in Showroom of The New Craftsmen by @olliegtomlinson
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