Flute of Chicago Postmodern Corrugated Cardboard Table Lamp in Red, 1980s

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A bold, sculptural table lamp by Flute of Chicago, designed by Gregory Van Pelt in the 1980s Postmodern idiom — … Read more A bold, sculptural table lamp by Flute of Chicago, designed by Gregory Van Pelt in the 1980s Postmodern idiom — often cited as "in the manner of" Frank Gehry's Easy Edges cardboard furniture. The bulbous, urn-shaped base is built from laminated, edge-grain corrugated cardboard, its exposed rippled layers finished in a saturated red lacquer that gives the surface a distinctive ribbed, textural quality. It's topped with a matching wide conical (coolie) shade in glossy red, and the brass hardware and finial peeking through at the neck add a nice metallic contrast to the monochrome red palette.
Flute pieces were part of a wave of experimental cardboard furniture and lighting that emerged in the late 20th century, prized today for their playful material honesty and graphic presence — as much sculpture as light source. This example is in vibrant, vivid red throughout, a striking statement piece for a mid-century or postmodern-leaning interior. See less