Saturday, April 10, 2010

The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith



On a miserable January day, I decided to play hooky and spend the day at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. While walking around I heard the faint sound of Jazz in the back ground. As I continued to explore the rooms, the jazz became louder and louder. As I entered the gallery from which the music was playing I was floored, it was a show of the Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith.

Oh the joy in my heart as I moved from case to case. I have always loved to forge wire and create torque necklaces, but this was something different. These were the pieces I always wanted to create but somehow fell short. The designs are so deceptively simple and very complex at the same time. They just seem to float, like a Calder mobile.

I managed to return to the gallery about three more times before it closed in February. I have to resist the urge to pull out my planishing hammers and go to town. My neighbors tend to get a bit touchy about nonstop hammering. Until then, I still have my photos and design ideas.....




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