altered states
Lightning and Kinglyface are Anna Fulmine and Victoria Shahrokh, a team of designers whose work mixes the subtleties of design with scientific principles to create lush, dense and vivid objects, sets and exhibitions. based in Dalston, their work involves collaborations with photographers Thomas Brown and Ryan Hopkinson as well work with clients ranging from Bompas & Parr to Zaha Hadid. our new contributor Bobby Jewell spoke to them to find out more
so what are your backgrounds and why did you decide to work together? we both met during our time at university in Epsom at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design. we were studying graphic design and were becoming increasingly dissatisfied by the work that we were producing. so in a bid to create larger work that was straddling the worlds of art and design we began to look into theatre and set design. at the core of our partnership was this need to make three dimensional, creatively-inspiring, sculptural work. working as a duo helps in this sense because we are both constantly challenging one another and bringing new references to the pot. also it motivates both of us to have another person to answer to and discuss ideas with
your designs often influenced by science, what is it about these principles or ideas that inspire you? there is something about the rigidity of science that guides our creative minds; theories that are set in stone that cannot be argued with, or tampered with. we like the continuity of science, the permanence of it for explaining our intriguing planet and perhaps some of our more philosophical and fantastical ideas. scientific ideas have visually been quite poorly represented for some time, which upsets us because the principles of science are so visual and so exciting and the overly intellectual world of science should be opened up to creative minds
I'd love to know more about the processes you use to create your designs, how they are made and what materials you work with? often our starting point is experimentation. we like to find a material that conceptually fits the brief and then push that material to its limits. combining materials is also important, and this can help with the concept. we also love collaborating with others so a lot of our designs are created during erratic discussions – often over very strong coffee. from start to finish every design involves a lot of chat; we're both very vocal and we voice even the most ridiculous of ideas because one of us may catch a spark and be able to reign in the unimaginable
your studios are in Dalston's Arcola Street, which is a pretty popular location for young designers. does the location foster any kind of community/collaboration with other creatives there? yes it does, we are right in the centre of this group of studios and we have double doors that lead onto the road which means that when the weather is nice people pop in and we get to chat to local creatives. generally the vibe in Dalston is very open – people are willing to talk about their work and who they are working with, getting advice from one another and support
what projects, exhibits, collaborations do you have planned for 2016? we have been working on two personal projects so 2016 will see the release of these. one is with Benedict Redgrove and the other with Luke Kirwan, both are very different. we started using the human form last year in our work, having avoided it for nearly five years! we will be experimenting with Annabel Elston and hoping to collaborate with Ma-tt-er this year. we are also working slowly on a book that is pushing the polarising microscope we purchased last year to extreme
image info
top image (x-a)2 + (y-b)2 = r2 Circles Pt.1 / photography by Thomas Brown
next image Perspicillum / photography by Ryan Hopkinson / retouching by The Forge
next image created for 125 Magazine / photography by Ryan Hopkinson
next image Tornado / photography by Ryan Hopkinson
lower image for Surface Magazine / photography by Leandro Farina