While the concentrated, sharp beam of a theatrical spotlight compels us to take center stage, the soft, diffused glow of a shaded lamp invites us to decompress, unwind, and truly settle into our surroundings. Through his striking new collections, Touch and Strut, designer John Sorensen-Jolink, founder of the contemporary design studio Coil + Drift, explores how fundamentally different qualities of lighting can alter not just the physical aesthetics of a room, but the psychological well-being of its inhabitants. Presented together under the overarching title Lookout, a compelling new exhibition hosted at Colony in New York City, the body of work presents a thoughtful dialogue between intentional, highly focused illumination and warm, atmospheric glow.
As a contemporary dancer turned multidisciplinary designer, Sorensen-Jolink possesses a deeply ingrained, physical understanding of the significance of light. Whether it is guiding a viewer’s focus across a stage, capturing the dynamic movement of a body in space, or establishing a subtle domestic ambiance, lighting profoundly shifts how human beings experience and interact with their environments. He explores this complex relationship intimately in Touch and Strut, working closely alongside a specialized team of in-house artisans at his studio to translate his comprehensive background in movement, choreography, and spatial design into functional, sculptural lighting objects.
The conceptual roots of Touch trace far back into the designer’s personal history, directly reimagining the theatrical spotlight as a refined domestic object. Sorensen-Jolink’s perspective on lighting was originally shaped during his formative years growing up in a home that had been painstakingly renovated by a theater worker. Surrounded by these unique, dimly lit interiors where recessed fixtures and track lighting cast concentrated, intentional pools of illumination, he developed a complex relationship with light. Though initially resistant to this dominant, highly clinical, and impersonal light source from his youth, Sorensen-Jolink ultimately returns to the spotlight in Touch, approaching it with a hands-on, highly crafted methodology that subverts its original industrial coldness.
Constructed primarily from durable brass or robust steel, the pieces within the Touch collection feature highly adjustable, cylindrical metal shades and slender, graceful stems. These engineering choices allow users to manually pivot, tilt, and direct beams of light precisely where they are needed, while warm wooden accents integrated into the designs emphasize a much-needed sense of tactility. Rather than remaining static or fixed like conventional architectural lighting, Touch empowers the light to shift dynamically in real time in response to the changing needs of the room. In doing so, it successfully bridges the gap between mechanical precision and the comforting intimacy of human touch.
Reflecting on the distinct psychological impact of this design approach, Sorensen-Jolink offers insight into the theatrical origins of the concept. When you are standing within a sharp pool of light, you are intrinsically on; you are performing, activated, and engaged. Conversely, when you step just outside of that boundary, you can sort of disappear into the shadows, finding rest and privacy. This interplay between visibility and concealment forms the emotional core of the Touch series, translating the dramatic tension of the stage into the nuanced requirements of contemporary living spaces.
While Touch is deliberately engineered to foster focus, concentration, and engagement, the companion collection, Strut, introduces a completely contrasting, quiet ambiance intended to support the slow, everyday rhythms of a home. Inspired by the rugged, exposed wooden frameworks of historical fire lookout towers scattered across the Catskill and Rocky Mountains, Strut translates this rustic, utilitarian architecture into sophisticated wooden lighting fixtures. These pieces feature subtle metal detailing and a very intentional, thoughtful use of negative space, allowing the structure of the lamps to interact harmoniously with the architecture of the rooms they inhabit.
Furthermore, the Strut collection incorporates elongated linen shades, which were inspired in part by Sorensen-Jolink’s personal collection of vintage, cloth-shaded lamps gathered over the years. When illuminated, these fabric shades emit a soft, enveloping glow that feels remarkably similar to the warm, flickering light of a glowing ember or a quiet campfire at the end of a long day. This deliberate choice softens the overall atmosphere of the room, turning the lamps into gentle anchors of comfort rather than mere functional utilities.
Taken together, the collections embody two completely contrasting yet complementary approaches to domestic illumination, both heavily informed by the shifting, natural light that surrounds Sorensen-Jolink’s studio in the Catskills. Through their distinct forms, silhouettes, and material palettes, Touch and Strut manage to successfully balance focused task illumination with softer, atmospheric ambient light, effectively introducing the natural rhythms of sun and shade, action and repose, directly into the modern home.
Lookout is on view to the public until October 21 at Colony Gallery in New York City.
