LBA Linear Pendant | Blackjack Lighting

LBA, formerly known as the Kona, sets nine small Bullet shades in a line beneath a slim 48-inch aluminum canopy. The shades are gathered in three groups of three and hung at one level, so the fixture reads as a measured rhythm: three, pause, three, pause, three. Each shade is a 3.5-inch Bullet, matte on the outside and lined in metal within, and each hangs on its own fine cable.

Seen from across a room it is a horizontal drawing of points and lines; seen from beneath, the nine metallic interiors glow like a row of small lanterns. The two colorways are complete compositions rather than just paint choices. Matte Black pairs black shades with Brushed Copper interiors, black cables, black sockets and a black canopy, for a strong graphic line. White pairs white shades with Gold interiors, Polished Chrome sockets, silver cable and a white canopy, for something lighter and brighter.

Design notes

• Rhythm, not mass: nine shades in three groups of three give a long table or island a measured cadence instead of one heavy shape.
• Metallic interiors: Brushed Copper or Gold linings warm the light and make each shade glow from below.
• Clean suspension: each pendant hangs on adjustable 96 in cable, with no cutting or splicing; the excess coils neatly inside the aluminum canopy.
• A slim canopy: 48 in (121.9 cm) long, 2.8 in (7.1 cm) wide and 1.8 in (4.5 cm) deep, with the driver housed inside.
• Coordinated details: cable, sockets and canopy are matched to each colorway, so the whole fixture reads as one object.

Specifications

Downloads

• LBA specification sheet (PDF)
• LBA installation instructions (PDF)
• LBA (Kona) LM-79 photometric report (PDF)

Stephen Blackman and Blackjack Lighting

Blackjack Lighting is the studio of industrial designer Stephen Blackman, its President and Chief Design Officer. Trained in industrial design at Syracuse University, Blackman began his lighting career in 1984 at Sonneman Design Group, then founded Blackman Design Associates in 1988, designing decorative and architectural lighting for manufacturers including Kichler. He launched Blackjack in 2013 in suburban Chicago, now based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, to build fixtures conceived for LED from the first sketch.

His argument is that the LED should change the shape of a light, not just its efficiency. Rather than hiding a new source inside old bulb-and-shade forms, Blackjack designs around the small, flat, cool-running LED: thin discs, slim rods, glowing rings and lenses that let the light itself become the object. In his own words, "Decorative lighting by its nature is not primarily about optimizing lamp efficiency, it is primarily about decoration!" LBA shows how small an LED shade can be: nine palm-sized Bullets, each lit from within, composed into a single line of light.

Questions

What is the idea behind LBA?

To light a long surface with rhythm rather than bulk. Nine small Bullet shades hung level in three groups turn the fixture into a row of glowing points under one slim canopy.

Is LBA the same as the Kona?

Yes. Blackjack states that LBA was formerly called the Kona; the design is the same nine-Bullet linear pendant.

Matte Black or White?

Matte Black, with Brushed Copper interiors and all-black hardware, makes a strong, warm graphic line. White, with Gold interiors, chrome sockets and a white canopy, is lighter and suits bright, minimal rooms.

How is the light controlled?

The driver sits in the canopy and runs on 120-277V with universal dimming, so all nine shades dim together on TRIAC, ELV or 0-10V controls.

What warranty does it carry?

Three years on the integrated LED source and LED power supply, and one year on materials and workmanship, for the original buyer in the US and Canada.