New lamps for old
26-03-2009
Townhill Farm is a centre of creative excellence. And I work here, too; though when I�m outside I have to go about with a badge that reads �Designer � Beware�, just in case anyone mistakes me for an artist.
I�m just back from re-lamping my partner�s studio. She works with organic fabrics, natural dyes and exotic dyeing techniques, so colour rendering is a common subject for discussion around the dinner table, and it�s usually my fault.
Her studio lighting is a simple array of single-lamp fluorescent battens, as originally designed by the creative electrician employed by our farming landlord. But that�s OK � how else would you light an artist�s studio other than to get maximum light spread with minimal shadowing? Yummy.
But while they may be good old workhorse battens, they�re probably the best equipped battens in Wessex, because they�re now fitted with 90 series cool daylight lamps. It�s not that the old 840 lamps were poor; we just didn�t think they were quite good enough.
And this afternoon I�ll be nipping off to B&Q to pick up one of their multi-head GU10 spotlight units. This is for the studio lobby, which is beyond the pale with a crappy 2-D bulkhead. So there�s my job for tomorrow � to fit one of the cheapest spotlight units in the west. And the lamps? Well, the unit will be fitted with the very latest in 5W LED lamps � what else did you expect?
So this is how we go. Zero development in light fitting development (yes, I know the GU10 holder ain�t old enough to vote, but let�s go with the flow, shall we) but what fantastic developments in light source technology. Thus was it ever so.
