James
Jorge Pardo, 2007
Information
Created in 2007, James is made of polycarbonate material and an electric light bulb. Its dimensions (194 × 79.5 × 63 cm) make it one of the collection’s most distinctive lighting sculptures, with a strong presence and sculptural energy, despite its functional nature.
Artistic Context
Jorge Pardo (b. 1963, Havana, Cuba) is internationally renowned for his radical approach, which combines fine arts, architecture, and industrial design. In his work, the boundaries between a useful object and an autonomous artistic creation are broken down.
James is one of his so-called “sketches”—personal, smaller-scale sculptures through which he tests new ideas in color, materials, and form. The conclusions from these “experiments” influence his later, larger-scale works and permanent installations. Pardo is based in Los Angeles and New York and is known for his work at LACMA, as well as at international biennales and museums.
Placement & Dynamics at The Met
James is one of the hotel’s most discernible lighting works. Placed in a hallway or reception area, it functions simultaneously as a light fixture and an artistic exhibit—creating an in-between experience that is neither fully utilitarian nor exclusively aesthetic. It’s a transitional work that dialogues with the space and the daily life of visitors, without raising walls between design and art.
Why it deserves your attention
- Functional Sculpture: It combines lighting technology with a handmade aesthetic idiom.
- Experimental Freedom: It belongs to the artist’s “personal experiments”—codes that inspire his major works.
- Design with Content: It’s not just a nice object. It’s a question: when does design become art?