Steelos 72 in Linear Pendant | Blackjack Lighting

Steelos is a light made of rain. From a long, flat canopy hang dozens of thin steel cylinders and slim light guides, each on its own cable and each cut to a different length, so together they form a dense, irregular curtain of vertical lines. There is no single shade or central body to look at; the fixture is the pattern itself, a field of dark and glowing strokes that shifts as you walk beneath or around it.

The LED is what makes such a field possible. Every light guide carries its own small integrated source and glows along its length, while the solid steel cylinders between them add rhythm and shadow, so the curtain alternates between lit and unlit lines. The 72 in version joins three square modules into a 2 by 6 foot linear canopy, the right shape for a long table or a narrow, tall space. It arrives set in a pre-arranged random pattern, and the cable grippers let you rearrange the heights at any time after installation.

Design notes

• Light and shadow: glowing light guides mixed with solid steel cylinders, at random lengths, for a sparkling, layered effect.
• Modular linear form: three 23.9 in (60.7 cm) square modules joined into a 2 x 6 ft canopy just 2.5 in (6 cm) deep.
• Re-composable: supplied in a pre-arranged random pattern; adjustable grippers let you reset any drop from 12 in to 106 in without cutting cords.
• Dense grid: each module has 25 ports set 4.8 in (12.2 cm) apart, giving the curtain its fine, even texture.
• Two faceplates: Matte Black for a dark, graphic canopy, or Polished Chrome (with black housing) for a reflective one.

Specifications

Downloads

• Steelos modular system specification sheet (PDF)
• Steelos linear installation instructions (PDF)
• Steelos module IES file (ZIP)

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!" Steelos multiplies the slim rod into a curtain: dozens of glowing guides and steel cylinders falling at random heights.

Questions

What is the design idea behind Steelos?

A light built from many thin vertical lines rather than one object. Glowing light guides and solid steel cylinders at random lengths form a curtain whose pattern of light and shadow changes as you move.

Who designs Blackjack Lighting?

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

Matte Black or Polished Chrome, and is 72 in the right size?

Matte Black makes the canopy a dark, quiet plane so the lines of light stand out; Polished Chrome reflects the curtain back on itself for extra sparkle. The 2 x 6 ft linear suits a long dining or conference table; Steelos also comes in 2, 4 and 8 ft versions.

Can I change the pattern, and can it be dimmed?

Yes. It arrives in a pre-arranged random pattern, and the grippers let you re-set each drop between 12 in and 106 in at any time. It dims with TRIAC, ELV or 0-10V controls.

What warranty does it carry?

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