Interview with art director of Penta, wild bird rapper and lighting designer
Passing the gallery A photo: Sergey Morgunov - from the archives of the press services
Magazine: N11 (133) 2008
SALON: How long is your cooperation with the company?
- When I first appeared on the threshold of the company, these were very classic lamps. Old fashioned in a good way. And they are still in demand. But, trying not to change the traditions of the company, I carefully proceeded with their “modernizing”. It seems I managed it.
S: Still would! Now
- That was my goal. Lamps must be, firstly, of the highest quality and, secondly, recognizable. The past of the company is symbolized by the Kelly lamp, which beats up the Art Deco theme, its present is the C’hi space lamp with a glass diffuser.
S: You have a double role in the company. You are a designer and at the same time an art director, that is, you are responsible for attracting designers from the outside. One does not interfere with the other?
- On the contrary. I easily find language with young designers and architects. For example, with the guys from the Japanese studio M + K Design, whom we met several years ago at the Satellite exhibition in Milan. They created for us excellent collections of Tocco and Vision. Generally, discovering new stars is not easy. Fortunately, we have already cooperated with us with pleasure, for example, Carlo Colombo.
S: Quite often, young designers practice inventiveness without thinking about how their projects will be carried out.
- In this regard, I was lucky. I worked in a research center and I know what's what. So, I realized that it is important to communicate with the immediate creators of the thing. In our case - with those who blow the glass. I spent a lot of time in production, after which work on the design of the future lamp becomes an almost intimate experience. On the other hand, the designer is not obliged to go into details that can easily become a barrier to the work of thought. First, I create a form, and then I consult with the technical service and, if necessary, make changes. After all, it is worth a little deeper to think about all the problems associated with glass, with electricity, as the flight of fantasy ends.
