Robert Sonneman

ROBERT SONNEMAN (USA, 1943).
Ceiling lamp. ca.1970's.
Chromed and lacquered metal.
With five bulbs.
Measurements: 28 x 46 x 46 cm.

Ceiling lamp designed by the American Robert Sonneman in the 1970's. The structure is entirely of chromed metal. The structure is entirely of chromed and lacquered metal that gives a peculiar shine to a minimalist design slightly inspired by the space age.

Robert Sonneman specialized in avant-garde lamp design. At 19, fresh out of the Navy, Sonneman answered an ad to work at George Kovacs' studio on Manhattan's Upper East Side, where he became the sole employee. "Although my parents were in lighting, they had a traditional perspective, and Kovacs introduced me to modernism," Sonneman once said. "It was 1961, and I was immediately captivated by the movement." While working for Kovacs, Sonneman became captivated by the work of the Bauhaus, and began experimenting with the influential art and design school's ideas of functional simplicity in lighting. In 1967 he opened his own studio. Although Sonneman Design Group manufactured furniture for a brief period, the designer eventually decided to focus on the category that had always fascinated him; the brand became known for its floor lamps, sconces, pendants and chandeliers that feature unconventional treatments of form and balance, often inspired by modern architecture. Sonneman once said of his work, "I saw the lamps I built as lighting machines that glorified industrial aesthetics."