Designer Arik Levy opens two shows in California

By Daven Wu

Industrial designer, Arik Levy, is having a very busy May indeed with two shows opening simultaneously in California.

Kicking off the Levy love-fest is a light show at the Santa Monica Museum of Art. 'Arik Levy: Luminescence' distills his fondness for the abstract, not to mention his background in dramatic stage design, with a presentation of light sculptures made from unexpected materials.

Like up-ended bunches of flowers, clusters of thin fluorescent bulbs dangle over polished stainless steel table that, in turn, reflects the light in dazzling shards. From certain angles, the entire piece resembles a magnified snap shot of an overactive neuron network, an electrical energy of storm as one reviewer put it. We'll admit that it's probably not the most energy-saving lighting source for your average bachelor s pad, but 'Luminescence' is nothing if not eye-catching.

Over at Sunset Boulevard, the Eighth Veil gallery is the stage for Levy's 2008 collection 'Absent Nature' in which he continues his explorations with the raw, rock form. Blurring the line between furniture and art, the series of irregularly hewn blocks are made from blackened wood, stainless steel mesh and stainless steel that's been polished to a mirrored sheen.

19 May 2010 | Art