Fish Lamps

Considering the shape of fish a model of “good design”, the Gagosian Gallery in Rome presents an exhibition on Frank Gehry’s animated and dynamic light sculptures. 

The Gagosian Gallery is presenting “Frank Gehry: Fish Lamps,” an exhibition of Gehry’s animated and dynamic light sculptures. Since the creation of the first lamp in 1984, Gehry’s Fish Lamps have been exhibited in London, Paris, Hong Kong, and now Rome. The fish has become a recurrent motif in Gehry’s work, as much for its “good design” as for its iconographical and natural attributes.

Frank Gehry, Fish Lamps at the Gagosian Gallery, Rome, 2016

The softly glowing Fish Lamps are full of whimsy and vigor. Curling and flexing in attitudes of simulated motion, these artificial creatures emit a warm, incandescent light. This intimation of life, underscored by the almost organic textures of the nuanced surfaces, presents a spirited symbiosis of material, form, and function.

Frank Gehry, Fish Lamps at the Gagosian Gallery, Rome, 2016