COPIA

We tidy-up cables by wrapping them. The Copia Lampshade uses this technique to create a lampshade from the lightbulb's cable. Copia is designed as a response to how we interact with cables, as an observation of peoples actions we either try to hide wires or try to tidy them as a response to their chaos. The Copia lampshade is a focused response to the strange tendency we have to wrap objects we use in their cables. Tidying the mess of cables before storing the object itself away. The object also makes light of the tendency for pendent lights in interior fashion to have exceedingly long exposed cables in contemporary design. Copia is a lampshade design which requires the wires of the light used in it to be wrapped around itself for it to function. The design takes reference from nature, unconscious behaviour and interior design. In design, we can play with the way in which we control material, function and planning. Design tries to place order and structure onto the disorganised and chaotic. Bowerbirds, tent spiderwebs and synthetic birds nests are all examples of natural organisation and placing unorganised matter into structure. These elements all informed the design of Copia. The starting point for this research was to outline what is the human drive behind organisation. Originally, there was an assumption that organisation was a way to make action easier, allowing us to conserve energy and create a environment that felt less dangerous through its familiarity. Through research it became apparent that natural organisation is much more than this. It is often superfluous and playful, taking the environment and fulfilling functions in the most elaborate and unnecessary ways. The Copia lampshade presents disorganisation as decoration. It intends to articulate unusual human behaviour as a factor of design, normalising it and asking questions about human action. The piece is about human nature and using the environment to fulfill roles. We are taking from our own environment to fulfill the function of the shade. Using a commodity such as a cable, using it in excess and pondering its success. The lampshade tosses interesting and choatic light shapes around the room, further creating a sense that this haphazard human behaviour effects the things around it.

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