Gatsby – Vondom
Presented at this year’s Salone del Mobile, the Gatsby collection from Vondom, designed by product designer Ramón Esteve, recalls the era of Art Deco lighting. Esteve has been working with Vondom since 2010 very beginning and was in charge of the brand’s artistic management from 2012-2017, shaping it in its different phases of growth.
Speaking with darc about the new lighting collection, Esteve says: “We had been thinking about designing a small battery powered table lamp for a while. I sketched out several very different proposals and finally decided to make it in a transparent polycarbonate material, which was vital in obtaining the final result. From here onwards, as usual when working with Vondom, the process was fast and fluid. The lamp was born from the idea of creating an evolving item through a suggestive combination of lights, achieved by the surfaces of the piece. This polycarbonate material recreates the sensations and shapes of engraved glass and a very special combination of light and shadows when switched on.
“The Gatsby lamp is ideal for creating special atmospheres in both the privacy of your own home or public spaces, thanks to the patterns that the light sketches when it projects the shapes of the glass.”
Its autonomy, adjustable light intensity and the possibility of choosing the projected colour at any moment makes Gatsby a perfect technological solution. “Thanks to its lithium battery, this piece has a very long autonomy and its charging method is very simple, similar to a mobile phone charger,” says Esteve. “There were various challenges with this project – we had to seriously think about the proportions of the lamp in order to accommodate the electronic components necessary. As well as that, when you are elaborating a transparent injection piece, you have to work to disguise its own unmoulding marks.
“I think the most distinctive thing about Gatsby in comparison to other lighting products available is its pronounced Art Deco aesthetic. Of course the feeling it creates due to the symmetrical patterns the light reflects when it projects on to its geometric shapes, makes Gatsby a very special lamp in any atmosphere. It is a classic, sophisticated and contemporary piece.”
