While the concentrated light of a spotlight compels us to take center stage, the soft glow of a shaded lamp invites us to decompress and settle in. Through his new collections Touch and Strut, Coil + Drift founder John Sorensen-Jolink explores how different lighting can affect a room and its inhabitants. Presented together in Lookout, a new exhibition at Colony in New York, the work contrasts intentional illumination with atmospheric glow, offering a thoughtful meditation on how domestic spaces are shaped by the luminaires that inhabit them.
As a contemporary dancer turned designer, Sorensen-Jolink understands the profound significance of light. Whether guiding focus, capturing movement, or establishing an ambiance, lighting shifts people’s experience of a space in subtle and dramatic ways. He explores this ongoing relationship in both Touch and Strut, working closely with a specialized team of in-house artisans to translate his unique understanding of movement and space into sculptural lighting objects. The exhibition serves as a physical manifestation of these ideas, translating choreography and spatial awareness into tangible forms made for daily life.
Touch reimagines the spotlight as a domestic object, drawing direct inspiration from Sorensen-Jolink’s early encounters with theatrical lighting. Growing up in a home renovated by a theater worker, he was surrounded by dimly lit interiors where recessed and track lighting cast concentrated pools of illumination. Though he was initially resistant to this dominant, impersonal light source during his youth, Sorensen-Jolink eventually returned to the concept of the spotlight with a fresh, hands-on approach in Touch.
Constructed primarily from brass or steel, Touch features adjustable, cylindrical shades and slender stems that allow users to pivot the beams of light precisely where they are needed, while warm wooden accents emphasize tactility and human connection. Rather than remaining fixed in a single position, Touch allows light to shift dynamically in response to the room, successfully balancing mechanical precision with the intimacy of human touch.
“When you’re in a pool of light, you’re on, you’re performing,” Sorensen-Jolink explains, articulating the psychological impact of the design. “When you step out, you can sort of disappear.”
While Touch fosters focus and theatrical engagement, Strut introduces a quiet, steady ambiance intended to support the natural, everyday rhythm of a home. Inspired by the exposed wooden frameworks of fire lookout towers scattered across the Catskill and Rocky Mountains, the collection translates this quiet structural utility into wooden lighting fixtures featuring subtle metal detailing and an intentional, balanced use of negative space. Elongated linen shades, which were inspired in part by Sorensen-Jolink’s personal collection of vintage cloth-shaded lamps, emit an enveloping, gentle glow that feels reminiscent of a warm ember or a glowing campfire on a quiet evening.
Together, the collections embody two contrasting approaches to illumination, both heavily informed by the constantly changing light surrounding Sorensen-Jolink’s studio in the Catskills. Through their distinct forms and carefully curated materials, Touch and Strut balance focused illumination with softer, ambient light, successfully introducing the natural rhythms of sun and shade into the modern interior.
Lookout is on view until Oct. 21 at Colony Gallery in New York City.
