A Monument to the Cone: Pendolo Lighting Collection by Workstead.

Workstead has unveiled their latest lighting collection, inspired by a chance encounter with Alexander Calder’s stabiles, the abstract sculptures popularised by the artist. Designed by the design powerhouse’s co-founder and creative director, Robert Highsmith, the result is a rigorous and precise collection informed by the monumental public sculptures.

It all started a few years ago after a meandering drive through the autumn landscape led Robert past Alexander Calder’s home and studio, where some of his most famous large-scale bolted stabiles still stand next to Calder’s workshop in the New England landscape.

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Following a period of near-obsession over the late artist’s work, much of which was created just miles from Highsmith’s new home in the northwest corner of Connecticut, Workstead’s newest collection was born.

Pendolo explores the cone form across multiple scales, from a compact directional sconce to a series of statement pendants. The shaded forms, clad in natural burlap and linen, soften each iconographic composition and imbue the collection with a captivating warmth. Taken individually, each fixture is a Calder-esque distillation of movement, to be frozen in time or reconfigured. The resulting collection is a serial reflection on the delicate yet monumental presence of the cone form.

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[Images courtesy of Workstead. Photography by Jeff Holt.]