Bob: A Lamp with a Postmodern Twist

Mark Talbot and Youngjin Yoon's Award-Winning Design

The inspiration for the Bob lamp comes from the bold and highly expressive forms of the Italian Memphis group. Postmodern garishness is re-imagined through the authentic re-investment in 'real' materials, recycled and remaindered goods. The lamp is made from hand-cast concrete with recycled glass aggregates. Its weight, size, and minimal form allow it to interchange between a small table lamp heavy enough to withstand an accidental bump or tug on its cord and a pendant fixture light enough to be hung from the ceiling.

The design process involved creating formwork with a 3D printed positive, which was then sanded, waxed, and cast into silicone rubber. The addition of recycled glass aggregate to Portland cement and lathe-ground to reveal it, adds a unique touch to the lamp. The lamp measures 76mm in diameter x 127mm to the top of the concrete base plus an additional 76mm height for the bulb. The bulb is a half gold mirrored top 40W120V, which is included with the lamp.

The Bob lamp is a testament to Talbot and Yoon's commitment to creating designs that meet the needs, wants, and constraints of living within a small Brooklyn apartment. The challenge was to reduce the design to the fewest number of integral parts without producing something that appeared minimal in the normative sense. The result is a lamp that is compact, modular, and reconfigurable.

The lamp's design is a criticism of mass-produced objects, claiming that, by lacking human touch, they are morally bankrupt. Objects of the 1980's avant-garde extend this criticism through the use of garish and mismatched materials, pop colors, and all-over patterning. Realizing that this same skepticism of mass production runs through the present but has recently been addressed by the handmade, recycled and remaindered goods, Talbot and Yoon wanted to produce a pop/patterned but authentic object with an obviously human touch.

The Bob lamp is a perfect example of how design can be both functional and aesthetically pleasing. It is a testament to the creativity and innovation of Mark Talbot and Youngjin Yoon, who have managed to create a design that is both unique and functional. The lamp's design has earned it the prestigious Silver A' Lighting Products and Fixtures Design Award in 2017, a testament to its outstanding design and innovation.