Indoor lighting fixtures are often designed in a way that induces feelings of calm or serenity. They’re also often made with luxurious materials and often have very stylish forms. Some even look like designer or art pieces that serve as the visual center of a room. In contrast, this series of light “sculptures” are anything but luxurious but are definitely stylish and beautiful, providing an almost thought-provoking setup hanging above your heads. And it does so utilizing a material that you’d rarely consider as fine material or associate with images of peace, as volcanic rocks are the remnants and reminders of how powerful, destructive, and unpredictable Mother Nature can sometimes be.
Designer: David Pompa
Even among the different kinds of rock, volcanic rock is considered raw and rough, its surface is broken by pores of random sizes and shapes. At the same time, however, it is also one of the most unique byproducts of Nature’s fury, with each of those pores formed by random environmental factors, making each piece and each part of volcanic rock unique and one of a kind. If there was anything that symbolized Nature’s beauty and terror, it would be this kind of rock.
There is also nothing that sparks thinking and interest than contrasting elements arranged in a balanced and beautiful manner, which is exactly what the Meta Parallel Black collection embodies. The completely black fixture contrasts and, in a way, softens the yellow light that comes off the tubes. The volcanic rocks’ rough surface also contrasts and complements the matte aluminum bars that hold the tubes together. Thin black cables suspend the stone and metal assembly, another pair of contrasting and balancing elements.
There are several arrangements of the Meta Parallel black, each with a pair of pillars of volcanic rock light always positioned in parallel to each other. The metal bars that hold the two together, however, bend and fold at right angles, creating an almost abstract arrangement, especially when several Meta Parallel pieces are joined together, all while keeping a sense of symmetry and balance in their formation.
Light and shadow, rough and smooth, rock and metal, parallel and symmetrical, the Meta Parallel brings the balance of contrast to any room. Decorative yet also practical, this beautiful assembly showcases the best of Nature and man, of natural and industrial processes working together to provide not just a lighting fixture but also a very visible representation of the kind of beauty that you can find and make from almost anything, including a rock born out of one of Nature’s most destructive forces.
