The Lightning Archives

Iconic semantics meet Dadaist derivations in Studio Job’s ode to the Tube, bringing a daring poetic aura to the historic Slamp masterpiece, first produced in the early nineties. The collection of 7 extravagant lamps, are illuminated by a strong, surrealist identity born of creative expression: Labyrinth, Love Peace Joy, Perished, Peace Skull, Faena Art, Bananas, L’Afrique.

Luscious smiling lips, dancing animal skeletons, pop-art fruit, references to the Renaissance and superstitious frights, are all part of the iconic quotidian, seemingly out of order, yet perfectly recognizable thanks to a series of graphic design principles (symmetries, watermarks, and layering). Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel’s work is defined by their meticulous attention to detail, making every piece unique. Painted, rounded profiles, matching or contrasting semi-spheric buttons in predominant colours, and specifically designed wire coverings are some of the various details used to complete their designs. Dense metaphoric suggestions, transposed cult references and two-dimensional forms take on depth when printed on transparent Cristalflex® superimposed on an Opalflex® layer, transmitting the light uniformly.

The result is pure extremism, and the Tubes are a complete work of art, bathed in semantics, brought forth from a “cabinet of curiosities” true to Studio Job’s groovy style.