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Edition: Red Ibis —
Freedom of Movement

Roter Ibis DIM2WARM
Roter Ibis

EDITION WL1.2022
Completion: 2022

Flight, joy and freedom



"Glass is a seductively beautiful medium. It is more versatile than any other material and can resemble stone, water or metal, ceramics, gemstones or textiles."

(Heather Gillespie)

Sophisticated, unique, down to the finest detail: the artful craftsmanship of "Red Ibis," the new edition series by lighting architect Stephan Haubner, took a full six months to complete. The glass artist Heather Gillespie worked for it with a novelty, the 360° engraving.

(BB) Heather Gillespie, as a glass artist you have already frequently provided Stephan Haubners WL1 with individual designs. What fascinates you about the combination of glass and light?

(HG) Glass is a seductively beautiful medium. It is more versatile than any other material and can resemble stone, water or metal, ceramics, precious stones or textiles. It can appear solid or liquid, transparent or opaque, smooth or textured, heavy or weightless. But it is only in combination with light that glass comes to life. Then it reveals itself luminous and brilliant, reflective and refractive.

(BB) What inspires you in the design of the lamps?

(HG) Light has added a new element to my work. Wheel-engraved sandblasting gives the glass a certain freedom and immediacy, and combining individual tubes into a larger whole ensures that pieces can have an architectural scale without losing the subtlety of detail.

(BB) The latest unique piece consists of 14 cylinders and sets new standards in lamp design. What in particular inspired you here?

(HG) I wanted to create a piece that represents freedom and the pleasures that come with it. I was inspired by the Red Ibis, a colorful and vibrant Caribbean bird. The pattern in my glass work refers to the animal in flight, the movement and freedom that birds have.

02

Edition: Norđurljós

Norđurljós Leuchten
Heather graviert

Edition: Norđurljós

Gillespie

Heather engraves unique hand-blown pieces in a long forgotten way in her studio in the northwest of England: using copper disc and abrasive paste to create unique and wonderful engravings. She was keen to add a dimension to her work - light. Her first sketches paid homage to her native Cumbria in the northwest of England: fine rows of dots, clear strokes and countless depressions remind us of the extraordinary natural landscape. Heather wanted to engrave these on hand-blown clear glass, combined with a copper texture.

Heathers first installation is the light panorama Norðurljós for Nordlicht. Twelve WL1 pendant lights hang in a line, forming a transparent wall on which only the versatile engravings are visible. Floral, linear and rhythmic motifs embrace the tubes and actually create a cohesive image. Appearing dynamic, evolving, dissolving: it seems as if the engravings want to tell stories - of forests and meadows, pebbles and rivers. Norðurljós is a mysterious, poignant work on a perfectly crafted level. Thank you Heather.

03

Light groups Rekís, Foss and Steinn

In addition to the central installation Norðurljós, Heather planned small groups of lights, each dealing with a nature theme: Rekís, Foss and Steinn - drift ice, waterfall and stone. The lights work well individually or as a pendant group of 4. Five editions of each of the three motifs were created.

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Rekís

Drift Ice


Soft light penetrates through hundreds of depressions that develop around the cylinder. In between, gentle sweeps break the rhythm. Each glance reveals new shapes and lights. Engravings create the impression of imperceptible but constant movement: Indeed, Rekís is reminiscent of broken ice floes on the eternal sea.

Foss

Waterfall


Surfaces, lines, dots. Then again areas, lines and points. You can literally imagine the waterfall as it emerges from a river and its waves. How it rises up and then falls down stormily: Drops of water, spray, mist. Heather wonderfully transports our thoughts to her home in Cumbria in northern England.

Steinn

Stone


What at first glance looks like lines, are the finest strings of pearls that develop vertically on the body of the glass. Filigree and fragile, each engraved indentation carries a small light. Are they the traces left by a rolled stone in the sand? The Icelandic word Steinn also figuratively means the closed, the secret.