Clair de Lune

  • Words Harriet Fitch Little

A celebration of moonlight, in partnership with Marset.

  • Words Harriet Fitch Little

Words by Harriet Fitch Little

Moonlight is, in fact, sunlight: it consists of sunbeams reflected off the lunar surface, albeit with 400,000 times less power than we might experience during the day. But moonlight holds power over us in other ways, particularly during winter in the Northern hemisphere when its effects are often magnified by the reflective presence of snow and ice on the ground. Some people believe moonlight exposure leads to madness and poor sleep, others that it brings healing and a sense of calm. In 2008, the artist Katie Paterson found herself so entranced by its specific hue that she worked with engineers to produce Light bulb to Simulate Moonlight—a work of art that centers around a light bulb designed to approximate its rays.

Marset’s Theia Lamp, named after the Greek goddess who birthed the moon, sun and dawn, extends this fascination in a new direction. By swiveling the lamp’s fixtures around a central axis, you can transform the light emitted from full glow to gentle beam, changing the lamp’s function from desk lamp to soft room lighting and back again.

In a new partnership, Kinfolk explores the expressive quality of the Theia Lamp in relation to the lunar cycle.

This post was produced in partnership with Marset.

Words by Harriet Fitch Little

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