CHRISTOPHER POEHLMANN

A self taught artist and designer, Poehlmann’s training has been on the job, out in the world, and in the library. He has spent countless hours learning by seeing at museums, showrooms, galleries and trade fairs, as well as countless hours researching through books and magazines. Making came quite by surprise after coming from a photography background. He naturally gravitated to metal work from the start. His initial body of work that put him on the map in the early 90s was furniture and accessories made from copper pipe and pipe fittings from the local hardware store. Falling in the footsteps of the Bricolage movement, his functional art found object assemblages were both accessible and avant garde for the time. In the mid 90s, Poehlmann began to focus more on the found object and developed a line of lighting made from discarded clear sheet acrylic that he up-cycled into an array of hand thermoformed fixtures that still are in production today. The self studies continued to a passion for and knowledge of 20th century design. This love has proven useful as a consultant, writer, collector and picker as well as having subtly informed a good deal of his work. Various series have evoked contemporary visions of Art Nouveau, French and Italian Modernism, and most notably his pairing of modernism with rustic. In 1994, Poehlmann introduced his first Modern Rustic series of tables and chairs morphing ideas as disparate as Adirondack chairs with Twig furniture and Italian Modern. Then in 2004 a commission for an asymmetrical chandelier pushed his modern rustic sensibilities further to create his first newGROWTH light fixture. 20 years later, the newGROWTH series is the cornerstone of his business and proven to be quite influential in the design world at large. Having been published in most every design centered publication across the globe, the numerous incarnations of the newGROWTH lamps have seriously influenced the way both designers and the general public understand now that organic style, irregular or organic form, and the influence of nature can be used to great effect. Poehlmann continues to bring sustainability to his practice since his early days in found objects. Currently his company CP Lighting offers hand blown glass shades and fixtures made from 100% post consumer recycled and up-cycled bottle glass. New lighting and furniture is always in the works as well. At 60, there is no slowing down, ideas are still needing to be explored, R+D still leads to new prototypes, new opportunities to pursue, new products to make…