Reviews

What was the sound of the front door slamming? What kind of imprint would your living-room carpet leave on your naked knees? How did your mother smell when she left Saturday night for a party? These are some of the assignments that Iris Eichenberg gives her students so that through childhood memories they might gain insight into their obsessions and develop them into an artistic language.

It is said that Arctic peoples have one hundred words for snow. There could easily be that many words to describe the gold jewelry in Masters: Gold: Major Works by Leading Artists. At first glance the 40 featured jewelers have little to connect them, other than their extraordinary facility with the precious material. Internationally known artists such as Wendy Ramshaw and Bruno Martinazzi are rightfully included, but there are many pleasant surprises as well that make this book well worth looking for.

With over 400 images by nearly 200 artists, there is a lot to look at in Adorn: New Jewelry by Amanda Mansell. The book’s chapters are organized by jewelry type (rings, brooches, etc.) with a short introduction for each section. The jewelers represented are mostly young and European, many of whom attended the Royal College of Art in London. There are only a handful of United States jewelers featured.