While I’m constantly hopeful that the 3rings readership is a youngish crowd, I’d wager that many design buffs have an affinity for old school cultural icons, like the classic 7-UP ads in which a large, tall, toothy, and unabashedly grinning man (actor Geoffrey Holder) introduces the key components to the soft drink (lemons and limes” which give the”Un-Cola” its signature appeal, its “its je ne sais quoi… you know, fresh, clean, no aftertaste, wet, wild… all that.” I don’t know about “wet” and “wild,” but all the other modifiers certainly apply to Tim Baute‘s new minimalist chandelier that he affectionately refers to as “Seven-Up.”

Seven-Up Chandelier. Designed by Tim Baute.

While Baute’s piece can’t lay claim to the same organic antecedents as the Un-Cola, it does evince a certain, naturalistic, free-floating form. The central shaft of the lightpiece is constructed of seven simple electrical cords wound together, then individually liberated and suspended in a graceful U by means of seven thin steel cables attached to the ceiling. Said cables also provide the supportive cage to hold the lightbulbs perched at the end of each electrical cord.

The result is a bare-bones concept that rivals the best of the “no-frills” lights and lamps we’ve seen recently (Jonah Takagi’s Spun, Craighton Berman’s Coil Lamp, and Diesel and Foscarini’s Cage Suspension Lamp). The idea is simple enough–pare the concept of illumination down to its essence and keep the functional components on view)–and each of these achieves a singular aesthetic that elevates the product way beyond mere utilitarianism. In the case of Seven-Up, we see a “deconstructed” chandelier, one made of wires and bulbs rather than brass and blown glass. As it recalls this venerated centerpiece of expansive foyers everywhere, the piece has an aesthetic that’s two parts contemporary Gothic and one part classical Baroque. It’s light and lively just like its namesake, and it wears its millennial ingenuity proudly on its sleeve.

Via Mocoloco.