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 striking new collections Touch and Strut, Coil + Drift founder John Sorensen-Jolink explores how different forms of lighting can fundamentally alter the character of a room and shape the emotional state of its inhabitants. Presented together in Lookout, a compelling new solo exhibition hosted at Colony in New York City, the works contrast intentional, focused illumination with a warm, atmospheric glow.
As a contemporary dancer turned designer, Sorensen-Jolink possesses a profound, bodily understanding of the significance of light. Whether it is guiding a viewer’s focus, capturing the fleeting momentum of physical movement, or establishing a deeply felt emotional ambiance, lighting invariably shifts people’s experience of a built space. He explores this complex 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 tangible, sculptural lighting objects.
Touch reimagines the high-intensity theatrical spotlight as a domestic object, drawing direct inspiration from Sorensen-Jolink’s early encounters with lighting within the performing arts. Growing up in a home that had been renovated by a theater worker, he was constantly surrounded by dimly lit interiors where recessed fixtures and track lighting cast concentrated, deliberate pools of light across surfaces. Though he was initially resistant to this dominant and somewhat impersonal light source during his youth, Sorensen-Jolink ultimately returns to the spotlight with a hands-on, deeply artisanal approach in his latest collection.
Constructed primarily from enduring materials like brass or steel, the pieces within the Touch collection feature adjustable, cylindrical shades and exceptionally slender stems. These mechanical components allow users to easily pivot and direct the beams of light precisely where they are needed, while warm wooden accents are integrated throughout to emphasize tactility and human interaction. Rather than remaining static or fixed in place, Touch allows light to shift dynamically in response to the everyday activities of the room, successfully balancing mechanical precision with the intimate warmth of human touch.
“When you’re in a pool of light, you’re on, you’re performing,” Sorensen-Jolink explains, reflecting on the psychological duality of theatrical illumination. “When you step out, you can sort of disappear.” This theatrical philosophy underpins the entire collection, offering users the ability to curate their immediate environment, stepping into focus when needed or fading back into the comfortable shadows of a softly lit room.
While Touch is engineered to foster concentration and active engagement, its counterpart, Strut, introduces a quiet, steady ambiance intended to support the natural, everyday rhythm of domestic life. Inspired by the exposed wooden frameworks of historic fire lookout towers scattered across the Catskill and Rocky Mountains, the collection translates this rustic, quiet utility into refined wooden lighting fixtures. These pieces feature subtle metal detailing and an intentional, thoughtful use of negative space that lets the surrounding room breathe.
The collection’s elongated linen shades—inspired in part by Sorensen-Jolink’s personal collection of vintage cloth-shaded lamps—emit an enveloping, diffuse glow that feels remarkably reminiscent of a glowing ember or a crackling campfire. This soft luminescence wraps around the room, creating an atmosphere of safety, calm, and grounded connection to the physical environment.
Together, the two collections embody contrasting approaches to illumination, both of which are deeply informed by the shifting, natural light surrounding Sorensen-Jolink’s studio in the Catskills. Through their distinct forms, sophisticated silhouettes, and rich material palettes, 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 October 21 at Colony Gallery in New York City.
