notarianni glass
design fusion
LED has been embraced by many different applications in modern day society because of its positive impact on the global environment. However, its energy efficiency and long life has also captured the attention of the creative sector including Amanda Notarianni who is renowned for her hand blown glass sculptures. She explains how LED has bought another dimension to her unique sculptures.
Amanda Notarianni and her partner Charlie Macpherson have been hailed as two of Britain's most up and coming art glass designers. However, like all artists they are constantly looking to push the boundaries and produce revolutionary new works of art. Amanda intends her work to capture, celebrate and explore the magical qualities of glass. She used microscopic images of plankton as her initial source of inspiration when investigating form and texture.
"Glass has many optical qualities especially with the introduction of light which magnifies textures and reflections. I was aware of the benefits of LED but wasn't sure how I could incorporate it within the sculpture without it being obtrusive," explains Amanda.
Amanda found her inspiration whilst attending 100% Design, one of the world's most important contemporary design exhibitions. She discovered Signbox, one of the most innovative companies of its type in the UK. Amanda identified that their expertise in lighting glass with LED for architectural signage could provide her with a solution. The high quality illuminated components mimicked exactly what Amanda wanted to achieve and gave her inspiration on how to effectively display the sculptures outside.
"Our comprehensive portfolio of sign products has provided many effective architectural solutions for display, presentation and wayfinding, says Mark Bartlett, Managing Director of Signbox. "Through using contemporary and traditional materials we can create any desired ambience; therefore we were delighted to provide Amanda with our expertise in using LED to illuminate her glass sculptures."
Always at the forefront of innovation, Signbox also quickly recognised that Amanda's unique sculptures had a place within reception art and a natural fit with their own target audience. The glass sculptures would meet today's popular objective of creating inspirational and contemporary lobbies for the business and hospitality sectors.
"I am currently undertaking larger scale pieces which have increased the need for LED, especially as some of them will be exhibited outside. As there is no limitation on how large Signbox can create their illuminated signblocks it has provided me with an ideal contemporary design solution. I will be able to reach a much wider audience with the introduction of LED as this will appeal to larger venues, the hospitality sector and open air exhibitions," Amanda enthuses.
Amanda's work has been described as ultra modern and sleek. Her finishing techniques make her work a unique example of hand made glass in Britain today. By introducing LED through Signbox's high quality display system, she is able to push the boundaries of her glass through greater creativity and skill. Amanda continues to exhibit her work internationally and at major shows including 100% Design, she concludes.
"It was a wonderful achievement to exhibit alongside Signbox this year and display how their design and innovative LED technology has taken my sculptures to a new dimension."
