Over the course of his career Verner Panton (1926-1998) introduced a series of modern chairs with personalities unlike any of his Scandinavian contemporaries. With a remarkable faith in the unlimited possibilities of the form, he worked successfully to create a new set of theories about how a chair should look and how it should seat someone. Experimenting with every material available, and spurred on by the rapidly advancing technology of the production processes, he created a body of work that is astounding for its elegance and for the remarkable diversity of his pieces.
Like other aspects of his design, Panton’s lighting broke the mold at almost every level. Panton worked extensively with the manufacturer Louis Poulsen, already known for his work with Poul Henningsen, one of the pioneers in creating hanging lighting that hid the light source within ribs of enameled metal. Panton began to experiment with different materials to the same end.
Panton also distinguished himself in lighting design with his modular chandeliers that could be easily expanded with the addition of more rows or columns. . Panton also created table lamps with the same design as many of his hanging lamps.