Charlotte Perriand was inspired by the boom of sailboats when in 1938 she conceived Potence Pivotante. Designed as a highly accessible swivel lamp, realized using two black tubular sections assembled in the shape of an inverted ‘L’ to lead the electrical wire from the switch to the bulb. The steel arm fixed to the wall rotates on the horizontal axis, describing an angle of almost 180°.
To Charlotte Perriand, lamps were not a decorative element added for no reason, but a functional and technical component, a tool and an object answering to specific needs. Perriand’s minimalistic approach instills a timeless character in her creations: these are the “Useful Forms” that came from the movement she co-founded in 1949. Like Perriand’s furniture, her lamps are not immovable, but rotate and bend themselves, adjusting to our needs.