Dare Studio’s Cage Group

Like my beloved Spaghetti Chandelier, which brought back childhood memories of spending Saturdays with my father at construction sites, Cage puts me in mind of the plastic light guards of my youth. I had a fondness for those orange coops, especially for their cocooning effect on naked bulbs. It's the same feeling that I get from the Eiffel Tower and Brooklyn Bridge-an offering of simplicity and transparency that still maintains complexity. Scaffolding of any kind will also entrance me. Clearly, I am not the only one who favors grates and grids. Exhibit A: the Cage Group of lamps from UK company Dare Studio.

Cage Group. Designed by Dare Studio.

These laser-cut aluminum wonders can be used as a pendant light, lamp base, or freestanding light. The small size measures 12" W x 13+" H; the large 18" W x 20" H. Powder-coated in a variety of finishes, Cage Group comes in an array of vibrant colors: Traffic Red, Sulphur Yellow, Coral, Graphite Grey, Oyster White, and Blue Black. Bulbs hang inside Cage as if caressed by the robotic hand of a sentient cyborg. I admit, I'm fascinated by the beauty of light bulbs: the curvature of the thin glass, the flicker of the hot filament, the spirals of the metal base. Consequently, any fixture that flaunts its incandescent innards appeals to me.

Dare Studio’s Cage Group

Dare Studio’s Cage Group

Despite my odd love affair with the bulb, Cage Group lights up beautifully. It casts lovely shadows-both of circles and lines, since the bulbous shape gets tempered by angular pieces of aluminum. As a lamp base, the exposed red cord snakes its way through the truss, reinforcing the linearity of the piece. I also love a red cord: it ties into pleasant memories of old Electroluxes and Kirbys (I hope there's no analysts out there deciphering my fixations on skeletal casings and scarlet cables). The bottom line is that Dare Studio's Cage Group deserves a long look.

Leave a Reply