He turned lamps into works of Art: memories of Ingo Maurer
Honest.
Surprising.
Innovative.
A few days ago the German lightning designer who reinvented with superb the world of lights, Ingo Maurer left us. He was renowned to be a rebel perfectionist, breaking rules to follow only his artistic instinct.
“The best way to be original is to listen to your inner light.”
Ingo Maurer
Our friends would perhaps think “maybe too romantic?”. Maybe yes, but among his memorable phrases, this is one of my favorites and I couldn’t help but share it with you.
Of course, his contribution to the world of Art and design has been remarkable, but there’s more to it than that.
Never obvious, always ready to surprise and amaze. Ingo not only gave a new shape to our chandeliers but taught us to evaluate some aspects related to our happiness.
For example, the simple fact of how important it is to choose the light of our rooms: on the latter depends much of our well-being, did you know?
In one of his interviews, he defined it as the fourth dimension: for him, light is something mystical and spiritual in contact with the most intimate part of ourselves.
It was in the United States that he began to learn more about the world of Lighting Design. After a few years he returned to Munich where he opened his own studio, Design M., which later took his name to become Ingo Maurer.
For him, light was a poetic instrument, so much so that many people called him “the poet of light”; even if he didn’t like to consider himself a poet. He said that in his creations, there was nothing else then simplicity and irony.
He loved to take inspiration from the objects of everyday life to follow them in their authenticity and at the same time be able to add that creative note that would have only and solely his signature.
The Porca Miseria! pendant lamp is a clear example of this.
He was simply asked to create a lamp to contrast with the boring ambiance of a kitchen; and so he did, using the explosion metaphor! Entirely made of pieces of plates, cups and teapots of porcelain, Porca Misera embodies the unprecedented story of an artist who goes beyond simple forms.
But his creativity was also stimulated by another desire: the constant desire to communicate with people.
What better way than giving them the opportunity to contribute to the realization of their own furniture? And so began Zettel’z, an invitation to use one’s creativity to create a truly customizable pendant lamp: the paper sheets, in fact, can be arranged at will and the composition provides a few blank pages that can be used for personal messages.
“I love making people smile and have fun. Think about how important communication is. I think of the husband who leaves a note to his wife informing her that he will be home late tonight.”
Ingo Maurer
However, to tell a story sometimes words are not needed.
“Why?” would you ask yourself to put wings on a light bulb! In Lucellino, Ingo tells the story of light through its most poetic but at the same time innovative concept: wings allow light to fly.
Whether it’s a table lamp, a suspended chandelier or a simple luminous object, Ingo has always tried to involve the user in an emotional game.
“We are successful when we arouse an emotion in people.”
Ingo Maurer
Maybe it’s true that you don’t have to try to surprise others with special effects if you’re not the first to believe in what you do. What is the point of respecting the classic canons of beauty if they don’t reflect our true essence?
Invent, create and excite.
This is what artists do!
