The collection
Translucent green plastic table lamp with conical base rising up and flaring outward with a domed top.
2001

Table Lamp, Agaricon

Designed by
Ross Lovegrove (born 1958)
Material
Polycarbonate, aluminum
Produced by
Luceplan, Milan, Italy
Dimensions
28 x 41 x 41 cm

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Liliane and David M. Stewart Collection, gift of Dr. Michael Sze, 2011.203

Named after a type of mushroom, Agaricon is an injection-molded polycarbonate lamp with a touch-sensitive circuit: the user can switch the light on or off and control the brightness by touching any point on the circular metal rim. The light source is inside the flared, translucent shade—which is available in different colors—revealing the interior components. The organic form is a reflection of Lovegrove’s interest in science and technology.

He stated, “There is no simple methodology to achieve the balance of materials, technology and form, only . . . designing from the inside out and outside in to find a harmony between all things considered.”

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, photo: Denis Farley.