Kevin Coates calls himself a ‘ghost whisperer’ and he’s right. The jewelry, table ornaments and drawings of this British artist carry a unique message of fantasy and enchantment, coupled with a Cellini-like mastery of goldsmithing techniques.
Dr Elizabeth Goring and Dr Helen Clifford contribute thoughtful and detailed analyses of Coates’s creative processes and passions, including music, geometry, archeology, poetry, classical art and literature. There are other chapters by Coates’s wife, Nel Romano, the lucky recipient of the annual birthday jewels shown in the book, Sir Roy Strong and Francoise Carli, another four essays by the artist and a summary catalog at the end.
If you are fortunate enough to own one of Coates’s pieces, you’ll still learn a lot. Everyone will appreciate the 690 color photographs.
