While the concentrated beam of a spotlight compels us to take center stage and demands our undivided attention, the soft, diffused glow of a shaded lamp invites us to decompress, unwind, and settle into our surroundings. Through his striking new collections, Touch and Strut, designer John Sorensen-Jolink, founder of the contemporary design studio Coil + Drift, is exploring how these two drastically different forms of lighting can fundamentally shape both the atmosphere of a room and the emotional state of its inhabitants. Presented collectively under the title Lookout, a compelling new exhibition currently on view at Colony in New York City, the works explore a thoughtful dialogue that contrasts intentional, focused illumination with a warm, atmospheric glow.
As a contemporary dancer turned designer, Sorensen-Jolink brings a deeply embodied perspective to his work, possessing an innate and highly nuanced understanding of how light functions within a physical space. Whether it is being used to guide focus across a room, capture the fleeting lines of a moving body, or establish a foundational mood, lighting fundamentally shifts how people experience and interact with their environment. He explores this complex relationship directly in Touch and Strut, working closely with a specialized team of in-house artisans at Coil + Drift to translate his sophisticated background in movement, choreography, and space into highly sculptural lighting fixtures.
The exhibition Lookout serves as a physical manifestation of these contrasting design philosophies. The first half of the presentation, titled Touch, cleverly reimagines the theatrical spotlight as an intimate domestic object. This concept is deeply rooted in Sorensen-Jolink’s personal history and his early, formative encounters with theatrical lighting. Growing up in a residential home that had been meticulously renovated by a theater technician, he was constantly surrounded by dimly lit interiors where recessed fixtures and track lighting cast sharp, concentrated pools of light across the living spaces. Though he was initially resistant to this dominant, somewhat impersonal light source during his youth, Sorensen-Jolink has ultimately returned to the theatrical spotlight later in his career, approaching it with a renewed, hands-on methodology for the Touch collection.
Constructed primarily from enduring materials such as solid brass and blackened steel, the pieces within the Touch collection feature adjustable, cylindrical shades and remarkably slender stems. These precise engineering choices allow users to physically pivot and direct the beams of light, while thoughtfully integrated wooden accents introduce an essential element of tactile warmth. Rather than remaining static or fixed in a single position, Touch allows light to actively shift and adapt in real time in response to the changing needs of the room, successfully balancing mechanical precision with the gentle intimacy of human touch.
Elaborating on the psychological and spatial impact of these designs, Sorensen-Jolink explains the duality inherent to the collection: “When you’re in a pool of light, you’re on, you’re performing. When you step out, you can sort of disappear.” This theatrical heritage translates seamlessly into domestic environments, offering users the agency to control their own visibility and spatial engagement.
In stark contrast to the performative focus demanded by Touch, the companion collection, Strut, is designed to introduce a quiet, meditative ambiance intended to seamlessly support the natural, everyday rhythms of home life. The inspiration for Strut draws from an unexpected architectural source: the exposed, skeletal wooden frameworks of historic fire lookout towers scattered across the rugged landscapes of the Catskill and Rocky Mountains. The collection translates this rustic, utilitarian aesthetic into sophisticated wooden lighting fixtures characterized by subtle metal detailing and a very intentional, sculptural use of negative space.
Furthermore, the collection features elongated linen shades—inspired in part by Sorensen-Jolink’s personal collection of vintage, cloth-shaded lamps—which emit an enveloping, gentle glow that feels remarkably reminiscent of a glowing ember or a crackling campfire on a quiet evening.
Taken together, the pieces that comprise Lookout embody two entirely distinct yet complementary approaches to spatial illumination, both of which are deeply informed by the shifting, natural light conditions surrounding Sorensen-Jolink’s studio in the Catskills. Through their contrasting physical forms, meticulous craftsmanship, and carefully chosen materials, Touch and Strut manage to successfully balance focused task illumination with softer, deeply atmospheric ambient light. In doing so, the exhibition introduces the organic, fluctuating rhythms of sun and shade directly into the modern domestic interior.
Lookout is on view until October 21 at Colony Gallery in New York City.
