On Jewels: An Appreciation of the Art

Confessions of a Snob

Ok, if you are a regular reader, you have probably already figured out that I am a jewelry snob.  I want it creative, exciting, original, innovative and above all else extremely well made.  Mind you, I have lots of leeway in those terms, I admire jewels made of all sorts of materials in all sorts of ways which is to be worn on all sorts of people. 

But my pet peeve is beading.  Don't get angry, stay with me here.   Beading is a great craft, probably accounts for a huge percentage of the jewelry sold and worn world wide,  I even do the odd beaded pieces myself, but doing a string of pearls or hanging a few faceted beads from jump rings on a necklace just doesn't satisfy me.  I want to see something that challenged the maker.

That is not to say that beads ruin a piece and just to prove myself wrong:

Here is Michelle Pajak-Reynolds who is another Crafthaus member and who's work is exciting, is creative and looks like it to a heck of a lot of skill, let alone patience.  Michelle is a textile and jewelry artist, a combination after my own heart, and her work shows it.  It is both textilel-ish in nature an definitely jewelry.  She has a gentle touch with color and you will find exciting pieces in both her "Drawing" and "Serendipity" lines on her website.

Michelle's work will be exhibited in a solo show at Luke & Elroy Gallery, owned by Crafthaus creator Brigitte Martin from June 20th to July 25th.

Crafthaus

So far I have blogged about Etsy and Flickr as tools for jewelers to promote their work, so I thought now was a good time to discuss Crafthaus.

Crafthaus is a social network for artists.  I was introduced to it by Heather Skowood who I blogged about previously. It is not solely for jewelry artists, but includes many.  You can join Crafthaus free of charge - upload images of your work, talk to other artists about upcoming events, submission deadlines, inspiration, whatever.  I have found members to be very friendly and interested in a dialog.   I don't know, but am guessing that there are other like me who are using the network to find out about new artists and new work, rather than to showcase our own work.  In this way it could be an invaluable tool with which to expose your work to bloggers, gallery owners, curators etc.

I plan to do a series of posts about Crafthaus artists, so here goes:

Shana Kroiz was an exciting find.  She describes her work here:

I construct these three dimensional pieces using formed metals, 
transparent and opaque enamels, carved woods, and 
sometimes electroforming.  This lends my ideas a contextual 
medium.  I use color and texture to give personality and feeling 
to each form.  The combination of these elements allows each 
piece to express its individual personality while uniting the work 
through common materials and techniques.  

Her work has been shown in numerous places including the American Craft Museum and Mobilia as well as being included in many publications and she is currently the "Special Events and 

Workshop Coordinator, and founder of the Maryland Institute College of Art, Jewelry Center"

I am most taken by the seeming physical strength of her formed pieces.  They are so bold in their complex shapes and steely simple color which portrays an impenetrable skin for these animalistic pieces.

Further, I am very impressed with the variety of her work from the playfully textural pieces with striking colors

to the fanciful mixed medium boxes

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Events

Here is a round-up of some of the jewelry events going on at the moment. 

The first is a show that I saw at its opening in Palo Alto - "The miniature Worlds of Bruce Metcalf" curated by SIgne Mayfield is now traveling and will soon be in view at: 

Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, NC. (Feb.21-May 10) - for a full list of dates and venues see this article at Art Jewelry Forum.

It is an excellent exhibition which includes miniature narrative 'jewels' set in small tableaux through which Metcalf comments on, "social, moral and political" issues, utilizing his interest in both comics and architecture, and showcasing his immense skill and imagination. The accompanying catalog is excellent and came most likely still be bought here.

Also on soon is the American Craft Council Show in Baltimore, which features over 140 jewelers!  How exciting.  Here are a few that I found at a quick glance here.

Elise Winters

Carla Reiter

On in other places:

• Velvet Da Vinci - Demonstration 2
• Facere - Recycle: Recreate, Redefine, Re-Imagine
• Art Museum of South Texas - GlassWear -Glass in Contemporary Jewelry
• Met- Calder Jewelry
• Folwer - Silver Seduction: The Art of Mexican Modernist Antonio Pineda
• Brooklyn Museum - From the Village to Vogue: The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith
• Museum of Art and Design - Elegant Armor- The Art of Jewelry
• Fuller - Sixth Sense: Contemporary Jewelry from Korea

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Eco Chic, no longer the Emperor's New Clothes

I have long seen jewelry which is of little merit other than that it is proposed to be of a higher moral and ethical grade because it is made from recycled materials, 'green' gold, or conflict free diamonds, and which often lets down the consumer in terms of design, originality and craftsmenship. I have seen newspapers such as the Financial Times in London or the Guardian sing the praises of this type of 'jeweler' and yet seem oblivious to the short comings in the design.

So I am happy to say that I am seeing a very positive trend towards jewelry which has it all. It is created from materials which are ecologically friendly, recycled or mined in ways which are working towards being less impactful on the environments and people surrounding the mines and which is also worthy of the term 'artistic' as well. Jewelers are becoming more comfortable with creating works which celebrate not only the material but also the art form.

Most notable at the moment is the exhibition currently showing at the Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery in Seattle:

Recycle: Recreate, Redefine, Re-imagine
January 28 - February 15, 2009

This show includes the work of ten jewelry artists who have shaped and transformed the materials with which they create. Recycled materials have pushed each artist to create sculptural adornment with a fresh eye and a fresh spirit. Jewelry art for the brave and bold.

This exhibition includes works such as Burcu Büyükünal's brooches and Jana Brevick's ring, both from recycled materials and pictured below.

But there is much more going on out there as well. Kirsten Meunster works with 100% recycled silver, pearls, nuts (pictured below), and some recycled gems as well as using Fordite (a 'stone' created from layers of paint used to spray cars) and pieces of bowling balls. Her work is crisp, clean and though less avant-garde than the work above, brings eco minded jewelry to the every day jewelry wearer.

Earlier I posted about Emiko-o who uses Legos and recycled materials among other things to create fun and exciting works such as the tiara below.

(tiara: recycled glass, acrylic, sterling silver, resin, transparency film, rubies & sapphires, synthetic ruby corundum set in 14k gold)

Another playful artist is 2ReVert who makes fun easy to wear pieces out of recycled skateboards.

Artist Carola Siefert juxtaposes recycled paper, 18k gold an pearls in her earrings and pendants.

Lastly, if it is more formal jewelry that you are looking for, one site that I have found which seems to have a good ethical model is Brilliant Earth, based out of San Francisco, who have made a commitment to "Clarity, Sustainability, Quality and Community." Great things to see in a jewelry company.

I think this is just a beginning. In a uncertain economic time we might see even more of a sift toward reuse and repurposing of materials, such as happened with the popularity of Berlin Iron and Cut Steel Jewelry during times of war, in place of diamonds and precious metals. Or even as happened as artists moved away from traditional 'artistic' materials during the Assemblage movement, when such materials were believed to be too elitist.

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Organic

Pink, originally uploaded by Phlaznatch.

Since I am loving the Santa Cruz coast so much at the moment - here is another Flickr find who's work is super organic in shape, often vibrantly colored and exciting to look at. Some of her work reminds me of melting sea creatures in technicolor, while many of her sculptural objects look like like they emerged from a Bosch or Ernst paintings.

You can find Jillian Moore's work at Velvet Da Vinci in their earlier pendant show, here on her website, Flickr, or in her upcoming solo exhibition at the Metal Museum.

Her work is best described in her own words on Metal Museum's information about the exhibition:

Recently, I've been combining forms that I find appealing based on my interests in biology. I've been creating jewelry forms that become extensions of the body-invented symbiotic organisms. I'm also interested in small sculptural forms that are becoming more abstractly figural as they evolve. I enjoy what is both repellent and seductive.

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Jana Roberts Benzon

Folded Foliage Pendant, originally uploaded by Jana Roberts Benzon.

I previously posted about a polymer clay jeweler here, and then stumbled across Jana Roberts Benzon on Flickr. It is so great to find someone who seems to have mastered an art form.

As I said the earlier post, I haven't been a fan of polymer clay in the past, but Jana's work shows me what is possible and how it "should" be done.

She works in a wide variety of styles as you can see from the images below (I went a bit overboard with the number, but really couldn't choose.) You can see more of her work here on Flickr or here on her website. I am amazed at her ability to work in fluid organic forms as well a incredibly detailed styles such as her polymer version of millefiori. I love her use of color and am astounded by her technique, but really can't help but finding my favorite in her white pieces. Such simplicity and complication at the same time.

If you are an enthusiast of the medium, you can also buy her DVDs to learn how.

Of note on the techie side of things: I love the community of commenters that she has on Flickr. It seems to be fans, and students and it is great to see an artist/teacher be able to interact with their audience without having to be there in person.

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Y not?

Wood artist Julia Harrison recently wrote to me to let me know that she will be teaching a wood workshop at the 92nd St Y's Jewelry Center.

She will be focusing on:

earrings and demonstrating a wide range of surface design and finishing techniques--something for every taste and every skill level

(see some of her work below)

If you are interested in signing up for this exciting class you can find the info here.

In looking at their website I found that they are also offering classes in silversmithing, enameling, stone setting and wax carving, to name just a few. They also hold lectures on topics such as, Five Views on Contemporary Swedish Jewelry and workshops like Julia's and things like paper jewelry, clasps etc.

Years ago I took a wax carving class there and it was easily one of the best classes that I have taken which taught not only the physical aspects of carving wax for casting, but also covered indepth, where to buy materials, how to utilize the diamond district and how to go about selling your work. I would highly recommend the 92nd St Y.

The upcoming tour that caught my eye was the Jewelry Centers of Southern Germany: Historical to contemporary. What fun!

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Posted on January 20, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Spiral Pendant, originally uploaded by ketztx4me.

I don't tend to be a fan of polymer clay, but recently found this artist on Flickr. Very cool spirals. I was struck by the range of colors and the fanciful shape. There are others in the photo stream which are just as striking, and lots of other work by this artist too.

You can find RKMDesign's work on Etsy.

This piece is very Doctor Suess

<

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Not my usual topic, but definitely worth a mention: There was some great antique jewelry at the Golden Globes - it looks like mostly courtesy of Neil Lane.

There were also a few interesting newer pieces by the likes of Bochic and Lorraine Schwartz.

Here are a few of my favorites

Heidi Klum wearing Lorraine Schwartz - bracelets and bangles were definitely the stars of the show this year.

The pieces that I covet the most, Demi Moore's Cartier bracelets, there was another stack on the other arm.

Eve Mendes in what is without a doubt the most striking jewel of the show

Sandra Bullock in Bochic bangles which hark back to Victorian snake bangles. I love the turquoise on both her and Eve Mendes.

Back on topic: I would have loved to have seen more daring jewels in terms of the designers. There are many exciting up and coming designers and it would have been nice to see a little more risk taking. Maybe some were even worn, but it is very hard to find any coverage if that is the case. Be bold, support new talent!

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Posted on January 13, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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January 09, 2009

Tiaras I love!

head detail, originally uploaded by Andy farrow.

For a long time I have been head over heels about tiaras. Ok, that is putting it mildly - not only do I remember the precise moment that I was given my first tiara (really a faux pearl wedding veil topper) and who gave it to me, but I spent my whole senior year of college creating tiaras for my thesis exhibition and I later took a job in one of the only places where one would come into close personal contact with tiaras on a regular basis.

So needless to say I was excited to find Andy Farrow - who used to work for Erickson Beamon and who creates lots of great colorful pieces, but above all TIARAS - or maybe they should be called head pieces, as they really are quite large.

No website that I have found yet, but you can see tons of images on Flickr.

I love a dose of costume jewellery fun!<

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Posted on January 09, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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head detail, originally uploaded by Andy farrow.

For a long time I have been head over heels about tiaras. Ok, that is putting it mildly - not only do I remember the precise moment that I was given my first tiara (really a faux pearl wedding veil topper) and who gave it to me, but I spent my whole senior year of college creating tiaras for my thesis exhibition and I later took a job in one of the only places where one would come into close personal contact with tiaras on a regular basis.

So needless to say I was excited to find Andy Farrow - who used to work for Erickson Beamon and who creates lots of great colorful pieces, but above all TIARAS - or maybe they should be called head pieces, as they really are quite large.

No website that I have found yet, but you can see tons of images on Flickr.

I love a dose of costume jewellery fun!<

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Spiral Pendant

Spiral Pendant, originally uploaded by ketztx4me.

I don't tend to be a fan of polymer clay, but recently found this artist on Flickr. Very cool spirals. I was struck by the range of colors and the fanciful shape. There are others in the photo stream which are just as striking, and lots of other work by this artist too.

You can find RKMDesign's work on Etsy.

This piece is very Doctor Suess

<

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Golden Globes

Not my usual topic, but definitely worth a mention: There was some great antique jewelry at the Golden Globes - it looks like mostly courtesy of Neil Lane.

There were also a few interesting newer pieces by the likes of Bochic and Lorraine Schwartz.

Here are a few of my favorites

Heidi Klum wearing Lorraine Schwartz - bracelets and bangles were definitely the stars of the show this year.

The pieces that I covet the most, Demi Moore's Cartier bracelets, there was another stack on the other arm.

Eve Mendes in what is without a doubt the most striking jewel of the show

Sandra Bullock in Bochic bangles which hark back to Victorian snake bangles. I love the turquoise on both her and Eve Mendes.

Back on topic: I would have loved to have seen more daring jewels in terms of the designers. There are many exciting up and coming designers and it would have been nice to see a little more risk taking. Maybe some were even worn, but it is very hard to find any coverage if that is the case. Be bold, support new talent!

advertistments

Posted on January 13, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

January 09, 2009

Tiaras I love!

head detail, originally uploaded by Andy farrow.

For a long time I have been head over heels about tiaras. Ok, that is putting it mildly - not only do I remember the precise moment that I was given my first tiara (really a faux pearl wedding veil topper) and who gave it to me, but I spent my whole senior year of college creating tiaras for my thesis exhibition and I later took a job in one of the only places where one would come into close personal contact with tiaras on a regular basis.

So needless to say I was excited to find Andy Farrow - who used to work for Erickson Beamon and who creates lots of great colorful pieces, but above all TIARAS - or maybe they should be called head pieces, as they really are quite large.

No website that I have found yet, but you can see tons of images on Flickr.

I love a dose of costume jewellery fun!<

advertistments

Posted on January 09, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Digg This | Save to del.icio.us

Next »

head detail, originally uploaded by Andy farrow.

For a long time I have been head over heels about tiaras. Ok, that is putting it mildly - not only do I remember the precise moment that I was given my first tiara (really a faux pearl wedding veil topper) and who gave it to me, but I spent my whole senior year of college creating tiaras for my thesis exhibition and I later took a job in one of the only places where one would come into close personal contact with tiaras on a regular basis.

So needless to say I was excited to find Andy Farrow - who used to work for Erickson Beamon and who creates lots of great colorful pieces, but above all TIARAS - or maybe they should be called head pieces, as they really are quite large.

No website that I have found yet, but you can see tons of images on Flickr.

I love a dose of costume jewellery fun!<

advertistments

Tiaras I love!

head detail, originally uploaded by Andy farrow.

For a long time I have been head over heels about tiaras. Ok, that is putting it mildly - not only do I remember the precise moment that I was given my first tiara (really a faux pearl wedding veil topper) and who gave it to me, but I spent my whole senior year of college creating tiaras for my thesis exhibition and I later took a job in one of the only places where one would come into close personal contact with tiaras on a regular basis.

So needless to say I was excited to find Andy Farrow - who used to work for Erickson Beamon and who creates lots of great colorful pieces, but above all TIARAS - or maybe they should be called head pieces, as they really are quite large.

No website that I have found yet, but you can see tons of images on Flickr.

I love a dose of costume jewellery fun!<

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