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 designer contrasts intentional illumination with atmospheric glow, capturing the complex ways light shapes our daily routines and emotional responses within the built environment.
As a contemporary dancer turned designer, Sorensen-Jolink intimately understands the significance of light. Whether guiding focus, capturing movement, or establishing a distinct ambiance, lighting fundamentally shifts people’s experience of a space. He explores this dynamic relationship in Touch and Strut, working closely with a specialized team of in-house artisans to translate his sophisticated understanding of movement and space into sculptural lighting objects.
The exhibition, titled Lookout, offers a masterclass in duality. It juxtaposes the precision and theatricality of focused beams against the grounding, gentle warmth of diffused illumination. By examining these contrasting lighting typologies, Sorensen-Jolink prompts viewers to consider how the objects that illuminate our homes do more than just dispel darkness—they dictate how we perform, how we rest, and how we inhabit our living spaces.
Touch: Reimagining the Theatrical Spotlight for the Domestic Interior
Touch reimagines the spotlight as a domestic object, drawing deep 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 hands-on, artisan approach in his new collection.
Constructed primarily from brass or steel, Touch features adjustable, cylindrical shades and slender stems that allow users to pivot the beams with mechanical precision, while carefully integrated wooden accents emphasize tactility. Rather than remaining static or fixed in place, Touch allows light to shift dynamically in response to the room, beautifully balancing cold mechanical precision with the warmth and intimacy of human touch.
This interactive quality is central to the design philosophy behind the collection. "When you’re in a pool of light, you’re on, you’re performing," Sorensen-Jolink explains, channeling his background in the performing arts. "When you step out, you can sort of disappear." This ability to control visibility and create private islands of focus within an open floor plan gives the pieces in Touch a powerful psychological dimension.
Strut: Translating the Quiet Utility of Fire Towers into Ambient Warmth
While Touch fosters focus and dramatic engagement, Strut introduces a quiet ambiance intended to support the everyday, grounding rhythms of a home. Inspired by the exposed wooden frameworks of historical fire lookout towers scattered across the Catskill and Rocky Mountains, the collection translates this rugged, quiet utility into refined wooden lighting fixtures. These pieces incorporate subtle metal detailing and an intentional, thoughtful use of negative space that allows the surrounding room to breathe.
The collection features elongated linen shades, inspired in part by Sorensen-Jolink’s personal collection of vintage cloth-shaded lamps. These fabric diffusers emit an enveloping, gentle glow reminiscent of a glowing ember or a quiet campfire on a dark night. Rather than demanding attention like a theatrical spotlight, the pieces in Strut recede into the architectural background, providing a comforting atmospheric blanket that encourages relaxation and unwinding at the end of a long day.
Together, the collections embody two contrasting approaches to illumination, both heavily informed by the changing natural light surrounding Sorensen-Jolink’s studio in the Catskills. Through their distinct forms, thoughtful proportions, and honest materials, Touch and Strut balance focused illumination with softer, ambient light, successfully introducing the natural rhythms of sun and shade directly into the modern home.
Lookout is on view until Oct. 21 at Colony Gallery in New York City.
