Coil + Drift lighting: soft, diffuse illumination

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The focused beam of a spotlight demands attention and puts us in the spotlight, while the gentle radiance of a lamp with a shade encourages relaxation and unwinding. In his latest ranges, Touch and Strut, Coil + Drift founder John Sorensen-Jolink examines how different types of lighting shape a room and the people in it. Shown together in Lookout, his new exhibition at Colony in New York, the two suites set intentional, directional light against softer, mood-enhancing glow.

A former contemporary dancer who moved into design, Sorensen-Jolink has a keen sense of how light directs attention, captures motion and sets the tone of a space. In Touch and Strut he works with a dedicated team of in-house craftsmen to turn his insights about movement and spatial dynamics into sculptural lighting pieces.

Touch revisits the idea of the spotlight for the home, drawing on Sorensen-Jolink’s early exposure to theatrical lighting. Raised in a house remodeled by someone who worked in theater, he grew up surrounded by dim interiors punctuated by recessed and track fixtures that created concentrated pools of illumination. Though he once resisted these stark, impersonal light sources, he now approaches the spotlight with a more tactile, hands-on sensibility in Touch.

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Made mainly from brass or steel, Touch pieces include adjustable cylindrical shades mounted on slim stems so the beams can be angled and repositioned, and wooden details add a tactile quality. Instead of fixed, clinical light, Touch lets illumination be shifted and responded to, marrying precise mechanics with the warmth of human interaction.

Sorensen-Jolink notes that being caught in a concentrated pool of light can make you feel like you’re performing, and that moving out of that zone allows you to disappear into the surroundings.

Where Touch encourages concentration, Strut aims to cultivate a calm, everyday atmosphere. Drawing inspiration from the exposed timber frameworks of fire lookout towers found in the Catskills and Rockies, this range translates that utilitarian restraint into wooden fixtures accented with subtle metalwork and carefully considered open space. Long linen shades — partly inspired by the designer’s collection of vintage cloth-covered lamps — cast a surrounding, ember-like warmth that recalls a campfire’s glow.

Shown together, the two collections present two complementary approaches to lighting, influenced by the shifting daylight around Sorensen-Jolink’s Catskills studio. Through their differing structures and materials, Touch and Strut pair concentrated, focused illumination with gentler ambient light, bringing the natural cadence of sun and shade into domestic settings.

Lookout is on display at Colony Gallery in New York City through Oct. 21.