Obsidian and brass Collaboration with Rodrigo Noriega
40 x 170 x 110 cm* | 15.8 x 66 x 43.3 in* M1: 40 x 80 x 60 cm* | 15.7 x 31.5 x 23.6 in*
M2: 35 x 90 x 80 cm* | 13.8 x 35.4 x 31.5 in*
M3: 30 x 95 x 90 cm* | 11.8 x 37.4 x 35. 5 in*
Obsidiana, sodalite and brass
Collaboration with FOAM
55 x 95 x 100 cm; sodalite: 60 x Ø 40 cm
21.6 x 37.4 x 39.3 in: sodalite: 23.6 x Ø 15.7 in;
*Measures can vary due to the obsidian slab
Lunar eclipses, produced by the interposition of the Earth between Sun and Moon, are natural phenomena in which the latter falls under the shadow of the first. The obsidian practically blocks the brass in its entirety, prompting the spectator to change angles in order to appreciate the underlying reflection and its colors. It is worth remembering that the Earth‘s atmosphere influences the tonalities that can be appreciated during a lunar eclipse, since the light that crosses it is refracted and generates distinct chromatic effects upon our satellite. In a similar way, ambient light creates various interplays of tones and textures that result from the interaction between brass as reflective material and obsidian as its absorbent counterpart.
Lunar eclipses, produced by the interposition of the Earth between Sun and Moon, are natural phenomena in which the latter falls under the shadow of the first. The obsidian practically blocks the brass in its entirety, prompting the spectator to change angles in order to appreciate the underlying reflection and its colors. It is worth remembering that the Earth‘s atmosphere influences the tonalities that can be appreciated during a lunar eclipse, since the light that crosses it is refracted and generates distinct chromatic effects upon our satellite. In a similar way, ambient light creates various interplays of tones and textures that result from the interaction between brass as reflective material and obsidian as its absorbent counterpart.
Obsidian, brass, LED
Collaboration with FOAM Ø 80 - 100 cm
Ø 31.5 - 39.3 in
*Measures can vary due to the obsidian slab
The contraposition of brass and obsidian is highlighted through LED lights that, upon being turned on, offer a unique view of the piece. The two potential states of it correspond to the metaphor in which the Sun (brass) and Moon (obsidian) create a dynamic play of light and shadow; the moon clearly reflects the natural light, as in those moments in which it remains visible in the celestial panorama during the day, while it entirely absorbs artificial light, generating a singular block in the composition when observed in the dark. The impossibility of a complete darkening works also as a reminder that solar eclipses can be seen only from certain parts of the Earth at a time.
Collaboration with FOAM
Obsidian, mirror and wood.
75 x 130 cm
29.5 x 51.2 in
*Measures can vary due to the obsidian slab
The central metaphor of this piece is achieved thanks to a material contrast in which the "coldness“ of the obsidian and the mirror creates a dialogue with the "warmth“ of the wood that unites them. The slight irruption of the obsidian in the reflective area prevents the identification of the totality of the form of the mirror, recalling in whoever is looking at the object the manner in which, during a partial eclipse, no spectator on Earth can find themselves in the right place to perceive a total block of solar light.
Architecturally speaking, the hexagons that constitute the elemental forms of a honeycomb allow for an incredibly efficient spatial distribution, since no useless place is left in the structure. This table highlights the modular potential of the honeycomb forms, suggesting that the empty spaces around it could also be expansively adapted as one more part of the structure. Thanks to processes such as waterjet cutting, the obsidian hexagons join the copper in a way that divides the spaces of the table in two colors: the harmony of beehives emerges from an order in which every member has a determined place, including queens, who are born from equally hexagonal cocoons. It is this complete organization what gives the structure its simultaneous solidity and apparent precarity, in which the structure’s support complements the delicately perfect geometry of the entire system.
In a sense, autumn is the dusk of the year, when the sun falls and with it the temperature that announces the darkness to come. Trapped between two complete moments, day and night, dusk figures as a symbolic transition that provides nature with unique moments in which flora and fauna find themselves belonging to two simultaneous states of being. This mirror represents that moment of duality – one obsidian slate, one copper, and so forth, in a way that none holds primacy over the other.The disposition of lines follows a randomized order, inspired upon that time of day in which many animals also transition from habits and environments; although with every turn of the sun some patterns are repeated, they are also distinct, every cycle closing a world of experiences in which a skin or a place is left behind so as to re-acquire others.
Culture and nature in Japanese design have a complementary relationship, to the point of homology. Precisely, Hotai, the name of this lamp, means “complement”, a singular structure in which three elements (wood, quartz, and light) coincide to create an incomplete shape nonetheless aesthetically pleasing. The principle of fukinsei, or unbalance, alludes to the absence of symmetry in the natural world, where the absolute formal precision that every element has, be it the curve of the wood, the mineral sphere, or the artificial projection of light, would not exist. It is through design that a bridge is built between the deliberate, ideal action of culture and the chance, unequal action of nature. This complement constitutes a circuit between both: to the sphere (whose interior is, however, completely unbalanced) follows the wooden curve (whose circularity remains incomplete) and finally a lightbulb whose illumination returns to the sphere. Nevertheless, the dominion and straight character of the rays of light is denied by the inside of the quartz, which refracts them, fragmenting their direction in uncontrollable, unforeseen manners.
