Just on the heels of his exhibition at the Pompidou Center, “Patrick Jouin: la substance du design,” which ended on May 24th, I thought I’d cover one of Jouin’s new pieces for 2010. While coming across his work is not exactly a quotidian experience in North America, in Paris it is estimated that “one encounters a Patrick Jouin design every 350 metres” (about every 1100 feet). Attention to his design on this side of the Atlantic peaked somewhat when his Ether Chandelier appeared on a television show that shall remain nameless here. Despite our sad inability to be bombarded by Jouin genius, we can stop and reflect on one of his designs presented here: Bloom.

Bloom. Designed by Patrick Jouin.

Bloom

is a table lamp that does exactly what it claims–it opens like a flower. The lamp transforms from a closed bud to an expansive efflorescence “in one movement.” Another limited edition by Materialise, Bloom is made using .MGX 3D printing technology, which we’ve written about earlier (see Volume, Dragonfly, Fractal, and Detail). In the past, the technology has been a little difficult to understand, but a Materialise production video now on the company website clarifies the details of the process. Essentially, .MGX is a file extension for a software called Magics, which “makes rapid prototyping and 3D manufacturing techniques accessible to design professionals.” It starts with a CAD file, which is converted into an .MGX file, which is then used to print the 3D visual image as a “sustainable 3D material object.”

While the technology allows for designs that would otherwise be “impossible to produce,” Bloom one-ups the already fantastic process by being an object that is created from a single piece and yet is able to transmogrify before your eyes: Materialise explains, “And with the complexity of its design, the Bloom lamp succeeds in pushing even further the boundaries of 3D technologies.” The lamp shade expands in order to allow the user to control the amount of light. When closed, it emits a soft glow. Completely open in its blooming stage, it showers the surrounding space with rays of light. Bloom is not only a great design for showcasing the .MGX technology; it is also a great design for showcasing the Patrick Jouin aesthetic.