Not long ago, I was asked by a Twitter friend about painting lights, those contraptions normally placed over a painting in a home or office and used for illumination. Sometimes hardwired, sometimes free standing and battery operated or even remote controlled, the vast majority of products out there that serve the purpose are very traditional looking and frankly, quite ugly. Not the type of thing I would hang on the frame of a 5-figure painting.
And while I realize these accessories are useful, I try to ALWAYS design a room with built-in directional ceiling lights for illuminating artwork. This is cleaner, elegant and less obstructive.
But for those application where art lights are required, I just recently found a wonderful alternative to the traditional “yellow brass cylinder”.
Marset USA, the local arm of the Spanish lighting company of the same name, offers the MoMA, a strikingly beautiful modern and functional wall light that emits a uniform glow that can be used as a picture light. So sleek and stylish, but now the question is will you even notice the painting?
richard rabel
principal
richard rabel: interiors + art
interior design and art advising
new york city
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