John D'Aponte

So it’s dark and cold, and you smell. You’re living in such a shitty time, that in the future, it will be called the “Dark Ages”. This description is only mildly ameliorated by the newest invention in town. There’s only one, at the local church, but it’s free for all to feast their eyes upon. It’s what passes for a chandelier: two overlapped pieces of wood, studded with nails, upon which lit candles are impaled, hoisted up to the ceiling by chain.

Needless to say, it’s only onward and upward from there. Wrought iron, brass, glass, ceramic will all be used to hold the bits of light that will propel you from darkness. Candles will give over to gas and then to electricity.

During this last conversion, from gas to electricity, folks will run the new electrical wiring through the defunct gas pipes. It will work so well, the technique will be extended to all types of interior wiring and by the early 20th century, conduit, couplings and fittings will be expressly manufactured for electrical usage. In 1962 New York City will get its act together and update its electrical code to reflect this new conduit technology, and then continuously update it to maximize electricity and minimize danger.

Our Conduit Chandelier reflects this history in its entirety and maintains the classical proportions, while offering a new take by making the method of safety and conveyance of the electricity the basis and the materials for the design itself. It’s constructed by hand, solely from off-the-shelf electrical metallic tubing (EMT). It’s fully recyclable, and made of an average 30% post-consumer content. 

Posted in: -all- interior object