As much a work of publishing art as a retrospective of Karl Fritsch’s jewelry, this book is the perfect introduction to the sheer plethora and spectacle of Fritsch’s cunning combination of the most reactionary and most revolutionary elements of contemporary jewelry. The texts, by various luminaries of the contemporary jewelry scene, are not translated into […]
Karl Fritsch: Metrosideros Robusta Read More »
While there is no denying the sheer variety of contemporary jewelry on display in this book (color images of 552 pieces of jewelry by 193 artists from fourteen countries) Dona Z Meilach doesn’t do much to lift the book beyond its origins in a call for submissions in which anyone could participate. Grouped by themes,
A comprehensive catalog of the contemporary jewelry collection of the Schmuckmuseum in Pforzheim, this book, by Fritz Falk and Cornelie Holzach (who have both worked at the museum) is also a substantial introduction to the development of contemporary jewellery in Europe and, less comprehensively, the rest of the world. Falk and Holzach offer pithy surveys
Schmuck der Moderne/Modern Jewellery 1960-1998 Read More »
The catalog for GlassWear: Glass in Contemporary Jewelry accomplishes what all exhibition catalogs should. It makes one want to see the exhibition, increases understanding of the subject and supports the intent of the curator. In addition, it broadens the reader’s knowledge of the subject and provokes further interest and discussion. The exhibition, curated by Ursula
GlassWear: Glass in Contemporary Jewelry Read More »
Celebrating 70: 70 Years by 70 Artists, published by Lorene Publications and Facèré Jewelry Art Gallery, is like a charming little book of hours, only six-and-a-half inches square. Its purpose is to celebrate as AJF member Karen Lorene, head of Facèré gallery in Seattle, turns 70 on August 19, 2010 and looks back to enjoy the past. The artists
Celebrating 70: 70 Years by 70 Artists Read More »
The New Jewelry doesn’t look so new 20 years on, but this book by Peter Dormer and Ralph Turner remains a good source for serious discussion of what makes art jewelry different from other kinds of jewelry. First published in 1985, it was revised in 1994.
The New Jewelry: Trends & Traditions Read More »
This volume, published as American Art Jewelry Today in the United Kingdom, provides an excellent entry into the field of art jewelry.
One of A Kind: American Art Jewelry Today Read More »
It’s not often you see an art book whose text is more interesting than the photographs. But such is the case with this retrospective catalog of the work of Gerd Rothmann. The hefty 404-page book shows the artist’s entire oeuvre (or at least everything he documented) from 1967 to 2008. The 589 photographs give a good idea of Rothmann’s changing styles and there are occasional full-page illustrations of some of his most distinctive pieces. But the text is a must-read for every collector, whether or not they know or care about the work itself.
Gerd Rothmann: Catalog Raisonné 1967-2008 Read More »
‘You are only what you surround yourself with? No. You surround yourself only with who you are.’ (Rob Walker, Buying In: The Secret Dialogue Between What We Buy and Who We Are. Random House, 2008.)
Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat’s Jewel Box Read More »
Klaus Bürgel is an artist who defies categorization. Is he primarily a jeweler? Yes and no. Does he care if his pieces are wearable? Not particularly. Is he a graphic artist? Certainly. A sculptor? Definitely, even though he often works in non-durable materials such as styrofoam and occasionally creates pieces too big to leave his
Endless Conundrum: Klaus Bürgel Read More »
Arthur Smith, Neckpiece, 1948, brass, 7 x 8 x 1 1/4 inches, Museum of Arts & Design, New York, purchased by the American Craft Council, 1967, photo: John Bigelow Taylor The quality of most of the pieces is remarkable and reflects decades of collecting by the American Crafts Council through the museum (formerly the American
Inspired Jewelry: From the Museum of Arts and Design Read More »
Whether you would enjoy this weighty book (399 pages) or prefer to give it a pass depends on how you view yourself as a collector and how interested you are in the broad field of contemporary European (particularly German) jewelry.
Modern Jewellery Design Read More »
