Spectra 38 in Linear Pendant | Blackjack Lighting

Spectra 38 stretches Blackjack's color gel idea into a long line. From a slim 38-inch rectangular canopy hang either 10 or 18 small pendants, each ringed in color-saturated resin. Every fixture uses four gradients of a single color family, Aqua Blues, Autumn Reds or Spring Greens, so the row reads as a band of shifting tone, like a painted spectrum suspended above a counter.

As with the round Spectra, the color is for the eye and the light is for the task. The tinted rings glow from the side, while the integrated LED directs white light at 3000K and 90 CRI down onto the surface below, so an island or dining table is lit naturally. The 10-port version hangs its pendants in a loose random pattern with generous 7.5-inch spacing; the 18-port version sets them closer, at 4.1 inches, in a level line for a denser, more continuous ribbon of color. The canopy can be joined end to end or side by side for longer runs.

Design notes

• A ribbon of color: 10 or 18 color gel pendants in four gradients of one color family along a 38 in canopy.
• White light where it counts: tinted rings glow sideways while the LED sends white light down, 3000K and 90 CRI.
• Two densities: 10 ports at 7.5 in spacing in a random pattern, or 18 ports at 4.1 in in a level line.
• Adjustable and joinable: coaxial cables adjust up to 100.5 in without cutting; the canopy can be ganged on its long or short side.
• Socket finish: Matte Black for a graphic outline, Polished Chrome for a brighter, reflective line.

Specifications

Downloads

• Spectra 38 in 10-port specification sheet (PDF)
• Spectra 38 in 18-port specification sheet (PDF)
• Spectra 38 in installation instructions (PDF)
• Spectra 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!" Spectra 38 lines that idea up over a counter: a row of small LED pendants where the color is the decoration and the light below is simply white.

Questions

What is the design idea behind Spectra 38?

A spectrum in a line. Color gel pendants in four gradients of one hue hang from a long canopy, glowing in color from the side while sending white light down.

Who is behind Blackjack Lighting?

Industrial designer Stephen Blackman, President and Chief Design Officer, who has designed lighting since 1984 and founded Blackjack in 2013 to make LED-native fixtures.

10-port or 18-port?

The 10-port spreads its pendants loosely at 7.5 in spacing for an airy, scattered look. The 18-port packs them at 4.1 in in a level line for a denser band of color.

Which color family and finish?

Aqua Blues are cool and calm, Autumn Reds warm, Spring Greens fresh. Matte Black sockets outline the color sharply; Polished Chrome adds sparkle.

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.