While at the end of what I like to call “transition month” - the ostensible thirty days to follow New Years when all are re-adjusting to yet another year, I think it apropos to look at new lighting concepts. After all, all across the U.S.A. we’re still staring at a veritable sea of illuminated foliage. Yes, pretty to look at, but probably not at the forefront of innovative, sustainable design. For that, you’d have to give the earth a complete 180 to find yourself in the illuminated environs of Sinclair Park, an Australian lighting firm featuring enigmatically named pieces like “Tranquilandia.”

Tranquilandia. Designed by Sinclair Park.

Sinclair Park’s stated objective is to “draw from a diverse and eclectic range of inspirations, materials, and ideals to assemble a collection of luminous objects that simultaneously challenge and celebrate the meaning of light…..with a dash of humour.” The humor shows: “Tranquilandia” (Spanish for “Tranquility-land”) refers to “a large illegal cocaine processing laboratory complex in the middle of the jungles of Colombia pertaining to members of the Medellin Cartel”; Mars Attacks!, as acolytes of Tim Burton will know, is the title of an ultra campy send-up of 50s B-space/scare flicks (starring none other than Jack Nicholson as the U.S. President), and “Down in the Sewer” evokes the other-worldliness of subterranean passages. But the work transcends the well-executed gimmick, the amusing in-joke: as part of Sinclair Park’s philosophy and mission, the company espouses the once-maligned LED (historically more efficient than halogen or xenon, they’re now also available in warmer colors), and they strive to incorporate sustainable features into each product. Tranquilandia, for instance, features an illuminated medium of crushed glass from recycled “windscreens” (that’s “windshields,” stateside), proudly proclaiming that “each year 14,000 tonnes of windscreens go into Australian landfill…..here is a couple of kilos that didn’t.” They also perpetually pursue refinements in cordless technology. Their “Cool Flame,” “Candela,” and “Lux” models provide safe and energy-efficient alternatives to the traditional candle-lit table.

With such a diverse and intriguing product portfolio, it’s safe to say that Sinclair Park’s appealing combination of ingenuity and aesthetics is the perfect antidote to the wasteful, heat-producing lighting technologies of yesteryear.