CANDLE “DIGITAL CLOCK”
by Jill Fehrenbacher, 06/01/05
I discovered this hidden gem amongst the short-listed entries to the MACEF RE-think + RE-cycle Design Competition. Jim Termeer’s Candletime is a set of hexagonal gold candle-holders which are set up in a pattern to mimic a giant digital time display.
I’m not totally sure what it has to do with recycling (the designer states some abstruse concept about “recycling time”) – but the juxtaposition between low?tech and high?tech in this design is really funny. I love the idea of 22 golden candle-holders being used to create a giant LCD display.
The cleverest part of this design is that because each candle-holder is separate item, the user is meant to continually move around the candle-holders to “update” the time. This design basically turns the whole idea of “timekeeping” on its head, since it would waste so much time to use. However I imagine it would make a great conversation piece, in the middle of a dining room table. The candle-holders are supposedly made out of gold, so I’m guessing they are darn expensive – but at least gold is highly recyclable!
More about Jim Termeer designs >
I’m known for my housewares and I love faux designs. This encapsultes so much of my esthetic!
Why stop with the time? If the individual modules are shaped as they appear to be, they can be arranged as letters too. Candle LED…