Lee Broom Illuminates Madonna’s New Film ‘Confessions II’ with Bespoke Crystal Light

British designer Lee Broom has contributed a custom lighting piece to Madonna’s recently released film, ‘Confessions II.’ The star’s production team commissioned Broom to create a bespoke adaptation of his signature Crystal Tube Light for a specific scene within the twelve-minute visual project.

A Dream Collaboration

For Broom, the opportunity to work with the global pop icon was a significant career milestone. He recalls his teenage admiration for Madonna’s artistry, not just as a musician but as a visionary and an influential figure. “The 15-year-old me is doing cartwheels in their bedroom, for sure,” Broom shared with Wallpaper*. He noted that her work, which blends performance, art, and fashion, deeply resonated with his own creative ethos, which grew from a background in theatre and fashion.

The initial contact came in February from Madonna’s production design team, who were seeking potential products for a “top secret project with a very famous artist.” After being sent a storyboard outlining the film’s concept, which explores Madonna’s new album through interconnected rooms and vignettes, Broom understood the specific requirements for his contribution.

Designing the Crystal Tube Light

The bespoke piece featured in ‘Confessions II’ is an elongated, two-meter version of Broom’s original Crystal Tube Light, first showcased at Milan Design Week in 2015. The original fixture was conceived as a fusion of industrial lighting and decorative cut glass, inspired by elements found in decanters and whiskey glasses.

Laurie Walters, the art director for the film, selected the Crystal Tube Light for its suitability to a contemporary apartment setting with art deco influences. The elongated design was specifically requested to hang above a kitchen island, creating a linear visual element within the film’s shots.

Broom’s product development team worked from his East London studio to scale up the fixture. While maintaining the original tube diameter, they connected multiple elements and adjusted the crystal cuts to create a seamless pattern on the larger scale. The hand-cut glass was sourced from the Czech Republic, and the assembly was completed in Barking. The scene featuring the light was subsequently shot on location in London.

Bringing Design to Popular Culture

Broom expressed his enthusiasm for integrating his work into a globally recognized platform like a Madonna music video. He believes such opportunities help bridge the gap between the design industry and the general public, who may sometimes find it challenging to connect with specialized design products. “When you have an opportunity to insert your work and your vision into something as globally iconic and as popular as a Madonna music video or film, it opens it up into a different ether that people aren’t used to,” he explained.

He sees this collaboration as a meeting point between the commercial and the avant-garde, an area he actively explores in his own work. “My own work as a lighting designer and a product designer is in a commercial space, but I love the avant-garde and I feel like if you can allow those two points to meet – the commercial and the art – then that’s a really interesting tipping point that’s sometimes difficult to get right,” Broom stated.

Looking Ahead

This project follows Broom’s previous collaboration with Beyoncé for her visual album ‘Black Is King.’ He has more collaborative projects in the pipeline and is preparing for his 20th-anniversary show in Milan later this year. However, the contribution to Madonna’s ‘Confessions II’ remains a particularly memorable moment.

Key facts

The integration of high-end design into popular culture platforms like music videos offers a unique avenue for designers to showcase their work to a broader audience, potentially influencing trends and fostering greater appreciation for design innovation.

Source: Wallpaper – https://www.wallpaper.com/design-interiors/lighting/lee-broom-madonna-video-lighting