Recognizing that many consider the commonplace fluorescent light strip to be just that—commonplace, generic, and unremarkable—Bartco Lighting challenged assumptions with its exhibit-as-art installation of designer linear T5 fluorescents. The company’s Zag, Fill, and Freeform—all part of the Studio by Bartco line still in conceptual development except for Zag, which is in production—are slim, minimal versions of their bulky siblings. Connected together, the 12-inch- to 48-inch-long lamps were assembled as a sculptural light installation that stretched across Bartco’s display, angled around corners, and created the illusion of going through walls. “We took the familiarity of the product and used it in a way that engages with architecture,” says Dennis E.C. McKee, vice president of special projects and corporate affairs. The Studio line has been exhibited at Lightfair the last two years, but this was the first time the installation concept wasn’t limited to the confines of the typical dimensions of a trade-show booth. “For Bartco, taking what we know about today’s lighting—where it’s located, what it sounds like, how it affects us—is all part of making our way toward the future, and finding the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel.”
Details
Title: Studio by Bartco: Step Into the Light
Team members: Dennis McKee and Kristian Johnson
Materials/luminaires: Cold-rolled steel, powdercoated, fluorescent components (i.e., ballasts, lamp holders, lamps) with 3000K 8W, 14W, 21W, 28W, and 35W linear T5 fluorescents
