Not Baroque
Large ‘Futura’ Mid-Century Design Table lamp, produced by Peill & Putzler, Germany 1970s
Is deductive reasoning good or bad? I’ll invoke my right to plead the Fifth — but let’s just say it’s been the silent co-pilot of my life longer than I care to admit. I’ve always admired those born with a crystal ball: knowing what they want, plotting the path, and marching straight toward it as if their Linked In profile was set-up at birth. I call them pod people — and yes, if you’re one of them, I mean that as a compliment.
Me? I was wired differently. My path has been more “process of elimination” than “pre-determined plan.” I’ve navigated life by bumping into what I don’t want — learning through contrast, discomfort, and occasionally full-blown existential plot twists. Not the most efficient system, but deeply educational.
Looking back, the universe did flicker some lightbulbs along the way — dim, yes, but present. I remember writing a paper in college on classical architecture and feeling like my soul mate had just entered the room. Call it joie de vivre — It was pure Venus energy: aesthetics, symmetry, beauty, design!
In doing research for the paper (mind you this was ~30 years ago), I stumbled across a quote that tattooed itself on my psyche forever: “Harmony of all the parts in whatsoever subject it appears fitted together with such proportion and connection that nothing can be added, diminished or altered but for the worse.” — By Leone Battista Alberti, a 15th-century Renaissance man. The quote still gives me chills and led to me casually studying different design periods, including Baroque — a style that, ironically, is maximalism personified and the polar opposite of my now minimalist sensibilities. And yet, I adored it.
I think I knew, even then, that I was deeply passionate about art and design. Naturally, I went left by majoring in business management instead (sigh). Any ho, I bought the lamp shown earlier this year — Love the space agey vibe! Can you guess what the wavey glass is called? Ummm, BAROQUE….the irony :) Looks like I’m slowly finding my way back to doing things that truly feed my soul — Such a good feeling!
