​​The original Swizzle-Stix Lamp stands in the corner of the artist’s living room, where it has stood for almost a decade.

 

At some point, shortly after the turn of the century, I came across a gorgeous piece of handmade paper in the Arizona Art Supply store. Its overall color was an intense shade of cerulean blue with irregular while polka dots (about three-eighths of an inch) speckled across its surface. I was so entranced by the look of it, despite the fact I had no idea to what practical use the paper might be put, I bought a single sheet not withstanding its expensive price. 

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Having bought it, the question became how to display the paper in a practical way that didn’t look contrived. For that very reason, framing it hardly seemed like an option. Using it as a background for artwork would blemish its unspoiled surface. The thought of placing it under glass on a table top, also seemed lackluster and cliché. Doing that would reduce what I wanted to stand out to an afterthought sandwiched between glass and table. In addition, I was also limited by the paper’s size, which measured about 22 inches by 16 inches. So I did what I usually do. I put the paper aside and waited for inspiration. In this case, it was long in coming. Occasionally, I would take it out of the cardboard tube in which it was rolled and look at it, before carefully putting it away again. Finally, some months later, inspiration struck! What about using the paper as a lamp shade? Yet that would be a problem as well Given the width of the sheet, the paper wasn't stiff enough to support itself and it would sag under its own weight, if wrapped into a cylinder. Gluing it to a backing in order to stiffen it would ruin it. And yet, a lampshade seemed like the best option, for light, would then glow through the paper, illuminating it like stained glass. I thought about it further. I wanted something new and different. I think it was the polka dots that finally clenched it. What about a geometric shade of some kind? The option of a triangular shape was not a huge logical jump. Triangles have always figured prominently in my work. So why not use a triangular shade. The paper could be stretched across a triangular frame that would . . . . . but why just a single triangle? Why not use a series of different sizes? As usual, once a creative idea occurs, possible permutations are not far behind - often being released like a tidal wave. What about positioning these shades in an open structure? A kind of “free association” as it were, that would allow the lamp’s owner to configure the shades in whatever way seemed most pleasing?