'Blossom'
Chandelier
2002 (designed), 2003 (made)
2002 (designed), 2003 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Tord Boontje is a Dutch designer working in London. Born in 1968, he trained at the Eindhoven Design Academy then graduated from London's Royal College of Art in 1994.
With his partner, glass artist Emma Woffenden, he began his career making glassware from recycled bottles (Transglass, 1997). He started designing eyewear and watches for Alexander McQueen in 1998 and the following year gained notice for his brutalist Rough-and-Ready furniture at Tate Modern.
His design aesthetic changed radically with his daughter's birth in 2000. In 2002, drawing inspiration from flowers and lace, he created the Garland light for Habitat and the delicate Blossom chandelier for Swarovski. The latter, a simple, asymmetric form, completely transformed a very traditional object type. In 2003, Boontje designed the V&A Swarovski crystal Christmas tree in collaboration with Alexander McQueen.
Boontje started teaching at the Royal College of Art in 2002, becoming Professor and Head of Design Products in 2009 after several years spent in France. His Studio has collaborated with many major international companies and his work, which continues to win awards, is represented in the collections of a number of public museums and galleries chiefly in Britain, Holland and the USA.
With his partner, glass artist Emma Woffenden, he began his career making glassware from recycled bottles (Transglass, 1997). He started designing eyewear and watches for Alexander McQueen in 1998 and the following year gained notice for his brutalist Rough-and-Ready furniture at Tate Modern.
His design aesthetic changed radically with his daughter's birth in 2000. In 2002, drawing inspiration from flowers and lace, he created the Garland light for Habitat and the delicate Blossom chandelier for Swarovski. The latter, a simple, asymmetric form, completely transformed a very traditional object type. In 2003, Boontje designed the V&A Swarovski crystal Christmas tree in collaboration with Alexander McQueen.
Boontje started teaching at the Royal College of Art in 2002, becoming Professor and Head of Design Products in 2009 after several years spent in France. His Studio has collaborated with many major international companies and his work, which continues to win awards, is represented in the collections of a number of public museums and galleries chiefly in Britain, Holland and the USA.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | 'Blossom' (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Metal, cut glass, diodes |
| Brief description | Chandelier, cut glass Swarovski 'crystals' and light-emitting diodes on a metal armature, designed by Tord Boontje, London, 2002, made by Prearo, Venice, 2003 |
| Physical description | Chandelier, metal armature shaped and divided to resemble branches, to which are attached numerous lead-crystal glass drops of several designs cut in facets to refract the light from 168 light-emitting diodes; some of the drops are coloured pink and set in groups to resemble five-petalled flowers and giving the overall effect of blossom. |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | Label for the first Blossom chandelier exhibited at the V&A's Milan in a Van exhibition 21 April to 9 June 2002, curated by Gareth Williams:
Blossom chandelier
Swarovski crystal, LED lights
2002
Designed by Tord Boontje (Dutch, born1968, resident in London)
Boontje first caught attention with a range of brutalist furniture
called Rough and Ready. His aesthetic softened, he said, with
the birth of his daughter, and his work today is more poetic and
decorative: blossom and the patterns of lace inspire him.
Manufactured by Prearo (Italy) using Swarovski crystal
Swarovski (founded in Austria, 1895) makes cut crystal for the
luxury market. This year in Milan Swarovski organised an
exhibition of contemporary chandeliers aiming to bring advanced
design to the conservative chandelier sector. Prearo (founded in
Venice, 1938) made this one. It is a marker of the Milan furniture
fair's significance that it attracts exhibitors from the fashion and
lifestyle industries.
Lent by Swarovski
(April 2002) |
| Credit line | Gift of Swarovski, London (Swarovski Crystal Palace Collection) |
| Object history | A Blossom Chandelier by Tord Boontje was first shown in the V&A between 21 April and 9 June 2002 in galleries 62-63, which at the time served as a Contemporary Exhibitions Gallery. The Milan in a Van exhibition, curated by Gareth Williams, formerly of the Museum's FTF Department, brought cutting edge design straight from the 2002 Milan Furniture Fair. Another Blossom was displayed by Jane Pavitt in her V&A Contemporary exhibition, Brilliant: Lights & Lighting between 12 February and 25 April 2004. A blue version was temporarily displayed in the Dress Gallery for Swarovski: Runway Rock, a V&A Fashion in Motion event in November 2004, curated by Suzanne Lussier. This Chandelier, with pink blossom, from the Swarovski Crystal Palace Collection, was presented to the V&A in 2004 and displayed at the east end of the Glass Gallery (131) that March. |
| Historical context | Installation and electrical instructions are on RF 2002/595 |
| Production | Swarovski is the maker of the lead-crystal glass components of the chandelier. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | Tord Boontje is a Dutch designer working in London. Born in 1968, he trained at the Eindhoven Design Academy then graduated from London's Royal College of Art in 1994. With his partner, glass artist Emma Woffenden, he began his career making glassware from recycled bottles (Transglass, 1997). He started designing eyewear and watches for Alexander McQueen in 1998 and the following year gained notice for his brutalist Rough-and-Ready furniture at Tate Modern. His design aesthetic changed radically with his daughter's birth in 2000. In 2002, drawing inspiration from flowers and lace, he created the Garland light for Habitat and the delicate Blossom chandelier for Swarovski. The latter, a simple, asymmetric form, completely transformed a very traditional object type. In 2003, Boontje designed the V&A Swarovski crystal Christmas tree in collaboration with Alexander McQueen. Boontje started teaching at the Royal College of Art in 2002, becoming Professor and Head of Design Products in 2009 after several years spent in France. His Studio has collaborated with many major international companies and his work, which continues to win awards, is represented in the collections of a number of public museums and galleries chiefly in Britain, Holland and the USA. |
| Bibliographic reference | Jane Pavitt, 'Brilliant: Lights & Lighting', V&A Contemporary, 2004 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | C.32-2013 |
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| Record created | March 12, 2013 |
| Record URL |
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