When I was a child, I often awoke early in the milky, gray dawn of school-year Saturdays and sat in the dimly lit den awaiting Saturday morning cartoons. I might first have to sit through the local news, but my patience paid off when a cavalcade of colorful, freaky, anthropomorphic mutants paraded across the screen. […]
Aurélie Guillaume’s Paulette Read More »
Marcus & Co. (New York), The Osborn Pearls, 1906, Newark Museum, Purchase 2014 Alberto Burri Memorial Fund established by Stanley J. Seeger (2014.5), case, 178 x 178 x 38 mm, necklace length, 1454 mm, photo: Richard Goodbody In 2014 the Newark Museum’s Acquisitions Committee allowed me to purchase a string of pearls 1454 mm long.
Adeela Suleman, Stainless Steel Helmet with Kettle, 2008, stainless steel bowl, kettle, metal, fabric, padding, 432 x 355 x 305 mm, photo courtesy of the artist and Aicon Gallery Found objects can be both vague and mundane yet offer immeasurable meanings thanks to their utilitarian aspect and their position within a nebula of historical and
Adeela Suleman, Stainless Steel Helmet with Kettle Read More »
Like many of Anni Albers’s woven pieces, the 1941 hardware necklace series she made with former student Alex Reed was informed by her travels throughout South America. Reflecting on the incorporation of natural materials in ancient jewelry discovered in a tomb near Oaxaca, Mexico, Albers explained, “The art of Monte Alban had given us the
Anni Albers’s and Alex Reed’s Drain and Paperclip Necklace Read More »
Andreas Richter’s box for Dorothea Prühl’s Stern (Star), photo: courtesy Galerie Marzee Dorothea Prühl, Stern (Star), 1999, necklace, cherry wood, 60 mm tall, in Andreas Richter’s box, photo: courtesy Galerie Marzee
Dorothea Prühl’s Boxes Read More »
David Bielander, Wellpappe [Cardboard], 2015, bracelets, patinated silver, white gold, from left to right, 85 x 85 x 43 mm, 90 x 85 x 20 mm, 88 x 74 x 53 mm, 90 x 58 x 44 mm, photo: Dirk Eisel prototype In 1912, a full-scale wood and canvas model of the never-realized van der
David Bielander, Cardboard Read More »
Nils Hint, Shadow, 2014, brooches, forged iron readymades, various dimensions, photo: artist During those awkward first weeks at university, I met a guy who possessed a laptop-sized hydraulic press that he said could flatten anything. I was never able to verify his claim, but the thought of this device stayed with me, recalling the ubiquitous
Each award-show season, a virtual community of jewelry enthusiasts gathers around hash tags to observe and assess red-carpet arrivals in real time. Using a predetermined tag—#oscarjewelry #globejewelry #grammyjewelry—lets us comment, question, commiserate, and crack wise on the jewelry selected to adorn celebrities at these rarified events. Considerable intrigue surrounds who will wear what. Calling a
Zip It! How One Necklace Silenced Twitter Read More »
Ernestine Mills, Angel of Hope Pendant, 1909, enamel on silver shield, semiprecious stones, height 35 mm, courtesy of V. Irene Cockroft / Museum of London, photo: David Cockroft Morris died in 1896, concerned that the joy in craftsmanship he advocated had culminated in no more than “ministering to the swinish luxury of the rich.” Women
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Sara Visbeek, the author’s partner, wearing the python for the first time, Galerie Rob Koudijs, February 5, 2012, photo: Miecke Oosterman At first glance, this python doesn’t look like a piece of jewelry at all. It is one big object, or rather, it’s a full-grown, life-size snake, dozing in a corner of the room. But
David Bielander, Snake Read More »
The brooch belongs to me! I claim ownership over it with insistence! It was given to me by Sophie as part of a jewelry swap, at a delicate moment in my life, when my health, or rather the health of my right breast, was not at its peak. When I wear it, I am wearing
Sophie Hanagarth’s Breast—Drop Read More »
“Which is your favorite?” This question was the most common one asked of me throughout my experience as curator of the Design Museum exhibition, Unexpected Pleasures: The Art and Design of Contemporary Jewellery. I could never answer it directly; each work had its place in the show. However, my curiosity did lead me to ask
Bernhard Schobinger’s “Holiday in Cambodia” Read More »
