Illuminated Object

ART 004 student project, Fall 2018.

For our final project in Three-Dimensional Design (ART 004), we were tasked with creating an interesting three-dimensional object that gave form to a pre-built incandescent lightbulb fixture that could plug into a standard wall outlet. This is the final result of my design process; an asymmetrical box housing the fixture, a paper membrane for the light to shine through, and a broken grid of squares to add additional visual interest to the design. This object was designed so it could be displayed either lying horizontally or standing vertically depending on the needs of the user and the context of its display.

The images displayed on this page are of a repaired version of the illuminated object completed in Fall 2022. A sheet of Tyvek is used as a membrane through which the lightbulb shines instead of paper in this version, adding the additional texture of the synthetic Tyvek fibers to the shadows created by the grid.

Above is the first model I made during the design process. I wanted to experiment with partially blocking the light shining through the object in interesting ways. The idea to use paper and strips of wood to filter light was inspired by paper Shoji doors and screens sometimes found in Japanese interior design. In the end, I decided the design would be more interesting if it was asymmetrical, unlike this model.

The lightbulb is mounted on a small platform inside the design. Currently, this final version of the illuminated object is sitting on my shelf with a smart LED lightbulb installed which I can set to any color to change the mood of the room.