Ingo Maurer – the knight of the electric light bulb

An installation in ardent defence of the good old Edison’s electric light bulb was shown in Milan this year

Text Tzvetana Chipkova

They call him a poet and magician, but when his favourite things are at stake, Ingo Maurer does not hesitate to dig up the tomahawk. An installation in ardent defence of the good old Edison’s electric light bulb – was a prelude to his light show in Milan this year. “What a sick idea– to eliminate an icon as the light bulb!” – read the walls of a little cabin with windows on all sides, built in the patio of Spazio Krizia. Pilgrims from all over the world who came to see the new works of the most influential designer of lighting, first stopped in front of that cabin.
Ingo Mauer’s anger is caused by an EU directive, restricting the use of incandescent electric light bulbs to the advantage of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). It will become effective this autumn and is a blow right into the heart of the artist for whom the electric light bulb has always been an inspiration. Even his first work – and success! – Bulb (1966), is a desk-lamp with the shape of an enormous light bulb. Next to follow are Savoie, Wo bist du, Edison...?(1979), Holonzki (2000), Lucellino (1992) – the electric light bulb with wings which became one of Maurer’s symbols, the chandelier Birdie (2002) – to mention only the most important . Just a glance at Maurer’s way through the years can explain his indignation at the violation of the “icon”. To him, the light bulb is one of the landmark objects, created by human civilization – it is sacred, just like the candle.
“Undoubtedly, big business is behind the decision to do away with the classic light bulb. It should be replaced under the pretext that it is not environmentally friendly. Everybody quotes data about how much electricity light bulbs consume, but nobody mentions the energy necessary for computers, toasters, hair dryers, dishwashers... This is a plot underlined by economic interest. The campaign is maintained all over the world. They say matt light bulbs provide less light, however in the specifications of producers they have the same number of lumen. That is why we made the installation “How to protect ourselves from stupid regulations – or the light bulb with a condom.” By the way, the mercury in a single compact fluorescent lamp (the so called energy saving bulbs) could pollute 23,000 litres of water. If not disposed of at special places, these lamps are very dangerous. But do people talk about that? No! People are not ecologically educated. Governments should do more about this, and in a better way. They should not ask: “Have you polluted the environment today?”, but rather – “How much energy and resources did you save today?”
The world is full of projects which waste energy unnecessarily. Why, for example, should every hotel or palace be brightly lit up all night long? That is not even in line with the hygiene norms, with human needs, with the nature. Sometimes we need darkness, too. When I go South – in Spain for example, and I escape the bright sun shining everywhere by entering one of the shaded and cool rooms which houses there have, the feeling is so pleasant!”
Ingo Maurer is a man with a cause. He is not afraid to speak out his mind and always stands for his beliefs. In the 1960’s, he emigrated from Germany to the USA for political motives. “Those were the times. Europe was too narrow for me. I still have an apartment and exhibition space in New York. I feel good there. Americans give you the boldness to be open and try new things, without being afraid that you might fail.”
Feelings have the upper hand in all his works. The idea for Bellissima Bruta – yet another landmark lamp, inspired by the electric light bulb, came to him while he was watching the bare light bulb on the ceiling in a cheap Italian hotel. “Emotion is behind each of my lamps. I am happy when people understand it and accept it. I never make lamps just for the sake of the beautiful object or some abstract idea. I inevitably put emotions into it. I do not like lamps behind which there is no human presence I can feel.”
A distinguishing feature of Ingo Maurer’s lamps is the unique combination of craftsmanship and technical perfection. To this day, many things are made by hand, some of them by Maurer himself, in his unique studio-workshop-showroom in Munich, but the company always follows the course of the latest technologies.
“I am proud that we were the first to make a home lamp with LEDs – Bellissima Bruta, as early as 1997. In many respects we have been in the technical avant-garde – for example in the use of halogen bulbs – which use less energy than incandescent bulbs. But nowadays governments are taking too many liberties. They tell us what to wear, what to put in our homes. There are too many regulations in every field – they are about to tell us soon that only two shades of red are allowed.”
Presently, Ingo Maurer and his team are again working with the latest technologies. Since 2006, they have been developing lamps with OLEDs, together with ОSRAM, and they are actively seeking energy-efficient light sources which would provide high-quality, pleasing-to-the-humans light. Soon we can expect them to give us some good news in that direction. And in the meantime, let us enjoy the latest magic works of the master which were exhibited in Milan. “The fisherman’s tears”, Lacrime del Pescatore is a lamp, inspired by the dewdrops on the fishing nets in Venice. The knight of the electric light bulb always remains a poet.