Week 9 - Jacqueline Malenke - The Industry of Light

Lighting and the instruments that produce artificial light in it of themselves are industrial. The very definition of industrial is something relating to a large-scale business or a manufacturing business. Take the source four leko as an example: it has a cold, metal body held together by nuts and screws and it is produced on a factory line. Lighting itself does not have to be industrial, but the equipment used to make artificial light is inherently industrial. 

As for the aesthetic of industrial lighting, I feel like it has changed and developed over time. Initially, when I think of industrial lighting, I think of cold, stark machinery like shown in the photo below. It has a factory feeling, it is not welcoming, and it is very clearly not made for the aesthetics but rather the functionality of just being able to see.

However, I feel that industrial lighting has taken a new turn aesthetically. Now it is all about the warmth the fixtures create and exposed bulbs. The one thing that has remained the same is the exposure of the cables and elements of the lighting fixture that do no produce the light. 

I am not quite sure why industrial lighting has become incredibly popular, and it is usually in line with a new, swanky brewery, but I am not mad about it. Maybe it is more affordable to create an industrial aesthetic? I also feel that the industrial lighting aesthetic allows the "audience" or brewery customers to be apart of the experience that is being created. It creates an atmosphere that feels very integrated and even a bit unfinished - like the audience is able to see this "work in progress" and it is an environment where you come as you are even if you yourself are "unfinished". 

My favorite example of industrial aesthetic is integrated in the ride Voyage to the Iron Reef at Knott's Berry Farm (r.i.p.). As you can see from the photos, there is an intense steam punk, industrial vibe that was created for this ride. The viewer can see exposed pipes along the walls and creatures made of cold, rusty machinery. 

 

In conclusion, industrial lighting has gone through a journey of being reliable and not quite aesthetically pleasing to being one of the top design aesthetics for places like restaurants and bars. It creates an environment for the viewer to integrate themselves into, and, in a way, it is exciting to see the exposed bulbs and how the lights are plugged in. I am not sure how industrial lighting will develop in the years to come, but I do know that it is here to stay.