David Trubridge Lamps

Below are excerpts from interviews published in a range of design magazines in Europe and Asia in recent years. The excerpts have been chosen and compiled to emphasise the company’s elegant products and the values David Trubridge is known for.

NOURISHMENT
I’m just looking for a way to provide people with cultural nourishment without falling back on scarce resources and energy. We have far too much ‘stuff’ in our homes that serves the same purpose as junk food—it’s designed to leave us hungry for more. How are we supposed to create a real and lasting way of nourishing ourselves without ending up with a bunch of unusable products that waste resources and damage the environment for no reason? I believe that designs that don’t address this problem are irresponsible and irrelevant.

FASHION
I’m not interested in trends or fashions. I’m not a ‘follower’. I’m trying to find my own voice and the courage to use it—to unearth a deep sense of integrity and do what I can to maintain it. I don’t like the current design trend of looking for originality in entertainment or satire—these gimmicks are one-liners that we laugh about once and proceed to never think about again. It’s impossible to keep up with all the trends, but I believe that integrity, originality, and expression of the uniqueness of every artist will win in the long run.
I have no desire to attach my name to what is essentially a superficial pop song. It might be a big today, but the dawn of a new day will wash it away. I dream of creating something comparable to Bach’s music—something that will not only be remembered five years from now, but will continue to inspire a hundred years from now.

THE PROCESS
I don’t design in order to just fill a practical function. I design to communicate. To tell a story. To tell others about what I’ve found in the mountains and the desert—and what I think it means to be human. As an artist, I’m always working to develop shapes and verbalise what I see and feel. Design is the language I use to tell my story. If I wasn’t so deeply involved in the creative process, I’m not sure I would be able to further my art. I would just end up redrafting the same designs and working on other people’s ideas. What’s the point of that?
I use my knowledge of my craft to create unique designs. Art, craftsmanship, and design are all vital components of the creative process.

WHY WE NEED ART
I believe that we need great works of art as they help define what it means to be human. Art is an important part of cultures around the world because it questions and pushes our limits, our understanding, and our experiences. Art is being able to find the edge you need to create the friction that keeps the fire alive. Without the constant movement of art, we would be static and void of life. Artists are the genetic mutations that push the philosophical and mental development of people forward. Most of us will not go down in history, but if we aren’t there to encourage the artists around us, we will miss out on some of the greatest art and intellectual movements that are yet to come.