 |
| spider table lamp designed by joe colombo in 1965 from Stardust |
Everything you always wanted to know about Oluce's Spider Table Lamp
designed by Joe Colombo in 1965. Colombo's Spider was awarded with the
Compasso d'Oro in 1967.
Designed to provide light as well as showcase it, the Spider Table Lamp
is a modern light fixture that features a functional and unique design.
Made from aluminum with either a black or white finish, the lamp head is
attached to the stem by a plastic joint that allows for it to be tilted
side-to-side. When illuminated, this modern floor lamp provides direct
light perfect for use next to a desk or lounge chair.
The Spider Table Lamp is part of the permanent collections of the Milan
Triennale, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Kunstmuseum of
Düsseldorf, and the "Neue Sammlung Museum" in Munich. The especially
chic Spider 291 table lamp is a real classic! At
the time the Spiders were invented, a special horizontal direct
spotlight was what everyone had been looking for.
 |
| spider table lamp from stardust, a joe colombo design for oluce |
 |
| spider table lamp from stardust, a joe colombo design for oluce |
Due to their
melamine joint the Spiders were capable of being placed in various
spaces and onto various bases: The first lamp family was born. The 40
year old design is as present today as it was then.
 |
| spider table lamp from stardust, a joe colombo design for oluce |
 |
| spider table lamp from stardust, a joe colombo design for oluce |
Available for purchase from
Spider Table Lamp Oluce/Joe Colombo from Stardust
The diffuser of
this numerously awarded lamp can also be swung around its glossy
chrome-plated stem and adjusted in height, thus meeting very need. This
lamp is manufactured as limited edition.
The Spider Table Lamp is a Joe Colombo design. Born in Milan in 1930,
designer Cesare Colombo—who went by Joe—was the second of three
brothers. His father, Giuseppe, was an industrialist who inherited a
ribbon factory and turned it into an electrical conductor manufacturer.
Colombo came to design relatively late, having spent most of his
twenties pursuing painting and sculpture. He studied at the Accademia di
Belle Arti in Brera, Milan, in the early 1950s. While there, he joined
the Movimento Nucleare, an avant-garde art movement founded by Enrico
Baj and Sergio Dangelo in 1951. Spurred on by international anxiety
surrounding the nuclear bomb, this group of painters aimed to break free
of the static boundaries of traditional painting.
In 1953, Colombo made his first foray into design by creating a
decorative ceiling for a Milan jazz club. In 1954, he made a series of
television shrines for the Milan Trienniale. Inspired by these
experiences, Colombo enrolled as an architecture student at Milan
Polytechnic. When his father became ill in 1958, Colombo abandoned
painting altogether; he and his younger brother, Gianni, took over the
family business, using the factory as an experimental space for the
latest production techniques and materials, including fiberglass, PVC,
and polyethylene.
In 1962, Colombo opened a design studio in Milan, from which he worked
primarily on architectural commissions—including several ski lodges and
mountain hotels—as well as product design. His furniture designs were
characterized by optimistically bold, round forms, and he championed the
notion of using modern technologies to create new design solutions.
Colombo’s design career was cut tragically short in 1971 when he died of
heart failure at age 41. However, he was remarkably prolific during his
near decade as a designer. Notable projects include some of the most
iconic designs of the 1960s, such as his 1963 Elda Armchair, made
completely of fiberglass; the 1964 Ragno outdoor light, which doubled as
a seat; the stackable Universale chair (1965/67), which came in varying
heights and was created completely from polypropylene; his 1967 modular
furniture series known as the Additional Living System, which was
composed of different-size curved pieces that could be pinned together
in various configurations to form chairs, sofas, or entire living areas,
and which ultimately included the famous 1969 Tubo lounge chair; and
the Optic alarm clock and Bobby trolley (both 1970).
 |
| spider table lamp from stardust, a joe colombo design for oluce |
