Lateralis is a table lamp by Ben McCarthy combining key materials – mouth blown glass, turned wood and brass finish components mix together in a well defined complimentary palette. The designer was playing with materials to see how complex processes and diverse materials could be brought together. Lateralis seems to reference the familiar with an almost oil lamp practicality to the stacked glass but it’s definitely the new contemporary aesthetic that wins through. Light plays off the 2 glass structures, reflections of the wood appear in the polished brass and light graduates and diffuses across the wood surface, a lot going on in a small space but it all works effortlessly. Lateralis was awarded German Design Award 2016: Special Mention for Excellent Product Design
“Initially, the lamp was designed for an exhibition in Milan, and I wanted to employ various materials from specific geographical locations, each with their own history, expertise in craftsmanship, and narrative. The glass was made by a master of bespoke glass production in Basel, Switzerland. The wood work was turned by hand on a lathe from a solid block of native Australian Blackwood, in Victoria, Australia, and the aluminium base, and bulb holder, were produced via high tech CNC operations in Southern China. Given that each of the components arrived independently in Italy, the product was designed to be assembled only with gravity, by stacking the individual components together to create lamp. While these processes were streamlined for commercial production, the materiality is still deeply celebrated, and the ease of assembly is a critical component of simplifying use for residential application”
