For me, designs don’t have to be new to feel special. Classics in the design world are a fleeting aspiration for many. Creating variations of easily identifiable objects requires not only an understanding of design history but also curiosity in manufacturing and craft. Lindsey Adelman has owned her eponymous studio since 2006 and has since explored ideas of what lighting can be. Over her 20-plus years in lighting, she has followed her interest in illumination, nature, and art. She has blended these concepts with the support of her studio, most of whom have tenure in their roles over the studio’s growth. Not an easy feat in any company, let alone a design studio, where newness is almost required for success.

Overglow has represented her newest evolution. A reimagined “lampioni”, or caged Murano blown glass lamps, evoke the tension between structure and the organic. Cast bronze sculptures, rather than machined-milled parts, have the historical feel of a lampioni’s wrought iron cages. The blown glass is typically thin and delicately held in place, but Lindsey, with the help of Michiko Sakano, has exaggerated the forms swelling past their constraints. Gravity is allowed to take hold, and you can feel both the liquid nature of the glass as well as the breath that it takes to create its expansion. Similar to her previous Catch collection, the glass is allowed to move and take on a more sculptural shape that feels almost human. In this moment, when pristine symmetrical shapes have been more popular in design, Overglow feels like an elegant nod to the past that can withstand the test of time. 

Lindsey has used cast bronze with her more decorative pieces, like Paradise City, for decorative details. The new curved forms of the cage in Overglow are now cast bronze, giving it a more melancholy shape and texture. The darker, more nuanced color palette for the glass is meant to be reflective of a current mood. Less cheerful than her previous work of fixtures like Cherry Bomb. “You can’t control the response. I just need to make and put it out. I’m so excited the response has been so positive with Overglow”. 

Arita: Why a pendant? You’re known for your chandeliers.
Adelman: “Hey, how about going for something simple, not figuring out all the versions or configurations. Just make one simple thing.” That idea of simplicity turned out to be a rigorous customized cage form that needs to be heated and moving while blowing multiple catches of molten glass. The overall piece can weigh 10 lbs and is a 12-18” Diameter.

Arita: Why cast bronze vs machined parts as used previously?
Adelman: “I love that we know each other and you’ve followed my work for so long. Cast bronze is a readily found tradition in the decorative arts. I enjoy the tactile nature of the material.” 

Arita: I noticed you renovated your studio. How are you organizing your time these days?
Adelman: All of our studio’s manufacturing for most of our products is with other vendors. I spend my time between Watermill and Manhattan. “I’m driving there right now. I’m finding more time to be creative. I love reading paper books. My perfect day now is that Ian (partner) is cooking dinner before I get home from work. We both have our separate (paper) books that we get to read and enjoy together. We spend time together while keeping our own interests.  

Arita: What are your current interests?
Adelman: I just spent some time in Filicudi. It’s an island off Sicily. I’m trying to make more time to daydream. I’m currently reading Haruki Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood” or books not about design. I make more time for drawing. Blind contour drawing allows me to be creative and unserious. I take notes and stay off my phone or emails. I try to have a slow drip of being online all day. I like checking my phone usage time. When I see it’s like 9 minutes, I feel very satisfied.

Arita: I’ve always loved that about you, your ability to incorporate life into the creative process. You love karaoke. You love dancing.
Adelman: I love spontaneous dancing in the kitchen. The world is crazy, and the more we can appreciate simple pleasures, the more valuable life becomes.