Leanne Fischler

• Year 2015

Project Context

This light was designed in response to a brief asking me to explore what defines my practice as a designer.

Exploring the issue of consumerism, I found that the repetition and sameness of mass production means that objects seem less valuable and are therefore easier to reject and dispose of. Alongside this, consumerism means that our deep individuality is reduced, expressed through duplicate objects and brand names.

Process

The final light was created through a process called slip casting, with twenty four translucent ceramic boxes made by hand. After they were fired, enamelled copper wire was used to connect them up and tiny LEDs were hidden within them to create a subtle glow. Each box is handmade and is therefore totally unique. Through an emergent process, a crafted object is no longer just the sum of its combined materials, it is given meaning by human touch. In a society in which people define themselves through their possessions, Leanne’s design considers the deeper meanings inherent within the objects around us.

Publicity

This design has been featured in:

• Dark Mountain issue 8: Technê
• Magdalen Magazine: March 2016
• BBC Bitesize by Factory Films – A short film about how young creatives approach the creative process for the BBC Bitesize website.