GE: Decade Lightbulb

In 1992, while studying at Parsons, I was selected for an advanced class with Henry Wolf. One of the most influential art directors of the 20th century, he was known for his work at Bazaar, Esquire, and Show. In class, he challenged us to say more with less—and to always let the idea lead the design.

A couple examples of Henry Wolf’s work—bold, smart, and elegant:

One of our assignments was to create a magazine ad for a fictional GE lightbulb called Decade—a bulb that lasts ten years, which felt almost like science fiction at the time. I proposed a multi-page insert for a magazine like Architectural Digest. The concept: show the same room, lit by the same lamp, year after year—until, after a decade, it goes dark. Click to flip through:

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The tedium of turning page after page was meant to evoke the feeling of something lasting forever—like the bulb. Looking back, I wish I’d evolved the room’s décor to reflect time passing: shifting styles, changing lives, maybe a child arriving. But even without that, I see in this project the kind of thinking that guides me today. And for that, I owe a good deal to Henry Wolf, Emily Oberman, Tom Kluepfel, and other generous teachers who helped shape me.