In view of the over-sized aspect of both the Harbo and Boyo Lights by design studio Gentle Giants for manufacturer Plust, the name of the former may seem rife with intention. For these are a pair of big and bold interior/exterior lightpieces, chock-a-block full of the very kind of charm one expects from a gentle giant.

Harbo and Boyo Lights. Designed by Gentle Giants. Manufactured by Plust.

Polyethylene Lights Bursting with Personality

The truth, however, is that the correspondence is only mostly coincidental. Design firm Gentle Giants “works on a diverse range of projects including both consumer products and limited editions… at the border between art and design.” In addition to lighting, the company portfolio encompasses armchairs and porcelain vases. And everyone knows a six foot tall vase is more problematic than charming.

The same, however, cannot be said about a six foot tall outdoor light. In fact, both Harbo and Boyo do double duty inside as well as out, as manufacturer Plust says they’re “suitable to create large points of light in both classical and contemporary indoor environments, but also to furnish gardens, terraces, porticoes and open spaces.”

Both of these large polyethylene lights have a distinctive “Through the Looking Glass” quality. With their sinuous sculptural profiles, intense ethereal glow, and unusual dimensions they take on a larger-than-life quality that not only makes them appropriate for any fanciful garden or high-ceilinged indoor space, but also for any number of futuristic of dystopic motion pictures.

I’m thinking of strange and enchanting masterpieces like Edward Scissorhands or insightful—if disarming—visions of the future such as 2001 or  Logan’s Run. Whether they evoke the free-wheeling mindset of childhood or the unusual configuration of a futuristic landscape may be up for debate, but either way, the salient fact of Harbo and Boyo’s size and shape gives them an aesthetic traction that’s difficult to miss: “They may be placed to create great emotional impact in the environment, evoking a meadow of oversized flowers.”

About the Manufacturer: Established in 2007 as a leading manufacturer of traditional European-style pots, Plust has become dedicated to the study of plastics—“investigating the possibilities of material plastics with a new vision” The line includes indoor and outdoor furnishings, lights, vases, and accessories. Plust has recently collaborated with several icons of Italian design including Giulio Iacchetti and Luca Nichetto.