Materials & Methods – Paper Lighting by Stephanie Forsythe & Todd MacAllen

Underutilised materials have been a consistent theme here on the blog. I suppose when you’re constantly considering natural materials like we are it makes you wonder why certain materials aren’t used more often. Knowledge is partly to play. Maybe even the current trends. But I personally think it requires highly creative people to consider new methods of applying these materials so that we can incorporate them in to our everyday environment. Luckily we have the help of designers Stephanie Forsythe & Todd MacAllen to guide us.

Their project titled Molo has been on my radar for a while now and I’m glad to highlight some of their lighting here today. Taking inspiration from lanterns they have produced this innovative series that mimics a canopy of clouds and urchin-like sea creatures sitting quietly at the bottom of the water.

The cloud series is particularly interesting. As the air shifts in the space the lights also rise and fall, creating a natural rhythm that’s always in tune to our movement. This ‘yin and yang’ philosophy is certainly more common in eastern culture, but Canada-based duo Forsythe and MacAllen have harnessed this perfectly to craft not only function but also beauty.

As a photographer I was drawn to the abstract photos of these lights, but I urge to to view their other paper pieces such as stools and tables that are sculptural but also functional on the Molo website linked below. With common materials and unique methods this work here shows the true power of design.

molodesign.com
forsythe-macallen.com

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