Sad on my part but Allee actually had to tell me to “look up” in order to discover these fabulous lighting fixtures.
Look at the little rocket! We love rockets at “Willis Wonderland”.
Close up.
Amazing light fixture in the kitchen at “Willis Wonderland” and on my favorites list.
I love this and I believe Allee made this lighting fixture, help me here Allee! PVC piping maybe?
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Allee Willis
The first satellite fixture is huge, about 2 to 3 times as large as the ones you usually see. It came out of a motel and there were four of them. I bought it from someone who lived in Seattle in 1991 so I think the motel was somewhere just outside the city. The guy who sold it to me kept one, I got this one, Snappyp, an aKitschionado here at AWMOK, got one and Pee Wee Herman got the other one.
The satellite in the kitchen with the perforated discs is a very rare satellite lamp. It’s silver and is one of my favorites I’ve ever seen.
I actually can’t stand the fixture in the last photo. I made it with the guy who used to build the mechanics of my motorized art (https://www.alleewillis.com/art/motorized/index.htm). He shall rename nameless here but was the bane of my artistic existence for many years as most of what he built for me broke almost instantly. I stopped building my motorized pieces because most of them wouldn’t even make it through the opening. By the time I found someone else who could build them I decided that I couldn’t take up any more space with these 500 pound massive sculptures. Mr. Malfunction also put up this light fixture. Made out of industrial tin pipe, it was erected very hastily before a big party I threw at Willis Wonderland in 1984. All the rooms in the house have the same ceiling lighting, in the original design in 1937, but I needed to adapt it in this room so lights could be thrown on four different walls as it was the first time I hung any of my art up right after I started painting. Thank God, I’ve only had to change the bulbs a couple times even though it’s been up for over 25 years. You practically break your wrist trying to twist the bulbs out because the pipe isn’t quite big enough. Every time I look at it I groan because it reminds me of my former partner and his inefficiency. But I do need the light thrown in four directions and just have never found the right fixture to accomplish it and not hog all the attention in the room. It doesn’t deserve to be featured here with my precious satellite fixtures but, then again, despite its awkward design it’s served me very well over the years.
StoryTroy
Illuminating post!
Love, love LOVE that light fixture from the kitchen, though I am curious as to how you keep it in funky bulbs… never seen any like them.
Allee Willis
They’re called star bulbs. About $8 a bulb but you can still find them a few places. All my satellites have them.