Copper, wood and brass lamps by Alvaro Catalán de Ocón are so reminiscent of candles it’s no surprise to find that’s where they come from and that they are called Candil. Gorgeous and ingenious, they use the components’ conductivity instead of a lampholder so that the simple act of placing the bulb into the copper bowl and removing it is the switch. We like candle light but no longer rely on it, the tungsten bulb with its filament and warmth that is integral to this product may not be here for much longer, so what next? I see how sensible LED is but I don’t love it, yet.
Candil comes in three versions: Milan for Sottsass and the Memphis Group, Kyoto in memory of a trip to Japan, and Madrid, home-city of the project and the designer, all from Viaduct.
Gerhard Richter Candle 1982, oil on canvas
