The first of such projects is a series of paper lamp shades I've constructed out of simple items made easily available to me at my job at John Levy Lighting Productions. Using plotter bond paper, an xacto knife and glue, the intent is to create various ornate and organic shapes that will act as diffusers for light.
Here are the initial notes on the project:
Some of the inspiration behind these lamps comes from Tord Boontje's lampshades and graphics, as seen here. However, the intent of my lampshades will be more structural and symmetrical, finding harmony in repeating patterns rather than in familiar images, as Boontje has done.Here are two close-ups of plotted patterns that would be cut out. With AutoCAD, these images can be easily plotted at various sizes to make the piece larger or smaller. Using both the cut out shape and the background as part of the lampshade, symmetrical, intricate and organic shapes can be created.
Here is a photo of a miniature mock-up version of one of the lampshades. The intent will be to create larger variations on this theme using bond or vellum paper, and hanging as a pendant lamp with a dimmable incandescent light source. Although merely conceptual at this point, the outcome of any design is difficult to determine unless one tries.
