‘A New Cast Of Characters’ by Jeremy Anderson infuses play into his sculptures

Jeremy Anderson’s illuminated sculptures allowed the lighting designer to combine two passions–working with clay and creating light. His work with clay is essentially tactile, meditative, and grounding, for him. He is the co-founder of the dynamic studio APPARATUS, which is where his experience in lighting design comes from. As he explored these ideas, it was important for Anderson to create products that sparked the same joy as his Piccolo vessels.

The sculptures in this exhibition needed to have human traits or characteristics that bring the lighting designs to life. “As soon as I have made something and it looks as though it can speak to me or walk off the table, I have found it,” shares Anderson. The inspiration for A New Cast of Characters lamp designs comes from Anderson’s exploration of shapes and forms that become studio playmates. He has created a community of these lighting designs and embellished them as though they are being dressed.

Growing up in a conservative and often chaotic home did not allow for the type of play that brought the product designer joy. Anderson says he was more interested in dolls and playing dress-up, something young boys were not supposed to be interested in. Activities through the lens of what is gender appropriate never felt natural, and this body of work allows the designer to tap into the kind of play he longed for in his youth. In settle ways this collection is Anderson's way to challenge gender norms through art.