john bullock. portrait by Robin Mills
Biography
I can now say, with a deep breath, that I’ve been in the lighting industry for over thirty years. In that time, I’ve experienced most sectors of the business; as a contractor, a manufacturer, a supplier and ultimately, as an independent design consultant.
I’ve been an independent design consultant since 1984, forming Equation Lighting Design in 1986 and heading that studio as Design Director until 1997. Then I got out of London, did the downshifting bit, and moved on to work as a freelance designer.
John Bullock Lighting Design was established once I settled in Dorset, where I live and work from a farmhouse on the beautiful West Dorset downs. It’s a one-designer band and quite deliberately so. I handle my projects personally so – in theory – I know everything that’s going on. It means that I can afford to undertake a smaller number of projects, so the attention to detail is far superior to the usual ‘studio model’.
I’ve been fortunate enough to have my work recognised by the judges of the Lighting Design Awards:
- 2005: ‘Highly Commended’, Leisure category for The Spa at Pennyhill Park Hotel.
- 2006: ‘Highly Commended’, Residential category for The Voysey House, Studland.
- 2006: ‘Commended’, Heritage category for Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, Dublin.
- In 2007 I was a member of the judging panel for Lighting Design Projects.
- 2008: ‘Highly Commended’, Residential category for Beach House, Studland
- 2008: ‘Highly Commended’, Transport category for Haydon Place, Subway, Guildford
- In 2009 I was again a judge in the Lighting Products section of the Awards
In addition to creating lighting designs, I also write a regular column and on-line blog for LIGHTING magazine.
More recently I’ve become an educator as well as a practicing design consultant, offering a variety of courses in lighting design.
I am a Member of The Society of Light and Lighting (CIBSE).
John Bullock. portrait by Daniel Rushall
And what else is there? Oh yes. I'm also a singer of English roots music - what used to be called folk song. Either as a solo performer or as the frontman for y'Strel's Band. I appear occasionally - some might say regularly - at venues around Dorchester and within Wessex. We've organised a mini-tour of Dorset for this autumn - The Little Red Book Tour - where we'll be featuring a progamme of songs from The New National Song Book, published in 1905, and containing some great material that you probably last heard at junior school, assuming that you've been around for as long as I have.
My 2009 solo album, 'The Astrologer and other Tales'. (Dorset Songs - Volume 1) is available at seledct outlets in West Dorset, and will soon to be followed by Volume 2, 'Amo Amas Amat'. which I find very exciting. This is a five-year project, with an album per year. All of the material was collected just over a hundred years ago from within the county, much of it within a country mile of where I'm sitting.
John Bullock Lighting Design: 01305 889256
