Verre Lumiere
An assemblage of 1970s lighting fixtures from avant-garde French factory Verre Lumiere goes on sale in New York gallery Demisch Danant
"For years, Stephane Danant, of New York’s Gallery Demisch Danant, collected vintage lighting fixtures manufactured by French studio Verre Lumiere (which closed in 1989). Unbranded but recognizable by their materials (opaline glass, chrome, nickel, brass, stainless steel), solid construction and avant-garde style, the pieces were made in small editions of 10 to 20 and sold through the studio’s Paris store, eventually creating a sort of Verre Lumiere diaspora.
“I found these lights and wanted to tell their story,” said Mr. Danant of the 40 pieces (dated 1968 to 1973) that he collected from all over France and which the gallery is now offering. “It was a puzzle of information, but they all clearly belonged together.”