Lamp

Donald Deskey|Deskey-Vollmer, Inc.

ca. 1927 · Glass, chrome-plated brass and wood · Modern and Contemporary Art

Creator of the interiors of Radio City Music Hall, Deskey is a towering figure in modern design. His lamp is a response to the upward thrust of the New York skyline. Its boxy proportions echo a tall, narrow building, while, on the two side panels, rectilinear puzzlelike patterns similarly evoke compressed architectural forms. The use of frosted glass in different textures activates the lamp’s surface, even as it diffuses the emitted light. The lamp’s compactness attests to Deskey’s awareness that he was typically designing for small domestic interiors.

Artist

Donald Deskey|Deskey-Vollmer, Inc.

Date

ca. 1927

Medium

Glass, chrome-plated brass and wood

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Purchase, Theodore R. Gamble Jr. Gift, in honor of his mother, Mrs. Theodore Robert Gamble, 1982