This lampshade is "build"using the technique of riveting with copper rivet nails to join the blue steel elements together. The dutch word for riveting is "Klinken" that's how this lampshade got it's name; The "Klink" lamp.
The riveting technique is a handicraft form of joining metal plates together using a nail, a hammer and a snapper to keep the rivet nail in place. It's a quite old technique that isn't been used very often anymore, but you can still find in lots of buildings, bridges and ships.
My workshop is based in Rotterdam, a beautiful raw city with one of the largest harbours of Europe and the great river "De Maas" running right through the city's heart. Whilst walking through Rotterdam, the many steel bridges and the large ships crossing the river always fascinate me. These bridges and ships are so robust and durable, functional products made to last forever. I love this permanent way of making products "durable". In a time where using paperpulp, bio plastic made of corn and rice and cardboard in your design are the way to give the design a "durable" and "fair" karakter, I tend to think of durability in another way. Yes it takes effort, energy and expensive materials to make a steel lampshade, but in 100 years time what will last and what will be "fair" for the earth and surroundings; Making a design that was made with lots of effort, one time but lasted throughout these 100 years? Or a design that's made from "fair"materials like recycled paper, bio plastic etc. and that'll last for a few years before it's broken? The production process of this "fair" product also costs energy. It's often made using steel or aluminum molds and is made by a machine, without much personal effort or affection.
To accentuate my love for design, for durable techniques and materials and because I want to make things that last I designed this Klinklamp.
My inspiration whas my home base Rotterdam: the blue steel reflects her rawness, I used the riveting technique to join the parts of the lampshade because I'm an absolute fan of "De hefbrug" a Bridge in Rotterdam that's fully constructed using riveting technique and because all the bigger boats that sail the river are made using rivet nails.
The riveting technique is a handicraft form of joining metal plates together using a nail, a hammer and a snapper to keep the rivet nail in place. It's a quite old technique that isn't been used very often anymore, but you can still find in lots of buildings, bridges and ships.
My workshop is based in Rotterdam, a beautiful raw city with one of the largest harbours of Europe and the great river "De Maas" running right through the city's heart. Whilst walking through Rotterdam, the many steel bridges and the large ships crossing the river always fascinate me. These bridges and ships are so robust and durable, functional products made to last forever. I love this permanent way of making products "durable". In a time where using paperpulp, bio plastic made of corn and rice and cardboard in your design are the way to give the design a "durable" and "fair" karakter, I tend to think of durability in another way. Yes it takes effort, energy and expensive materials to make a steel lampshade, but in 100 years time what will last and what will be "fair" for the earth and surroundings; Making a design that was made with lots of effort, one time but lasted throughout these 100 years? Or a design that's made from "fair"materials like recycled paper, bio plastic etc. and that'll last for a few years before it's broken? The production process of this "fair" product also costs energy. It's often made using steel or aluminum molds and is made by a machine, without much personal effort or affection.
To accentuate my love for design, for durable techniques and materials and because I want to make things that last I designed this Klinklamp.
My inspiration whas my home base Rotterdam: the blue steel reflects her rawness, I used the riveting technique to join the parts of the lampshade because I'm an absolute fan of "De hefbrug" a Bridge in Rotterdam that's fully constructed using riveting technique and because all the bigger boats that sail the river are made using rivet nails.
I tried to give the lampshade the same look and feel as my vision on the city of Rotterdam "Raw and pure when you look at it as an outsider, but when you come closer and get to know it it turns out to be a diamond in the rough!" The outside of the klinklamp looks like a archetype of a factory lampshade, the inside has a diamond/star-like pattern.
In the picture above you see how the riveting of the copper nails in this lampshade has been done; 88 rivet nails all hammered in by hand.
and this is the result! The Bridge "De Hef" and the boats crossing Rotterdam were made using steel rivet nails that are forced in in a similar way but are first heatened to make the steel softer and formable. In the lampshade I used copper nails that don't have to be heatened first because the copper is a much softer material. I really fell in love with the combination of the copper color that contrasts so nice with the blue steel plate I used for the shade that's why I used the copper rivets.
Sorry, the pictures aren't the best ones ever, but I'll be shooting a photoseries with the lampshade hanging real soon, but till then you'll have to do it with these pictures! Kind regards Romy
