A tribute to Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Anniversary of her passing |
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Jewelry of Undeniable Meaning
by LISA M. BERMAN for OverJewels
column #2, part #1
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JEWELRY of undeniable MEANING: Jewelry has often been viewed as decorative, displaying the aesthetic culture of a period in history, religious affiliation or provides the announcement of stature in community. Often stunning in craftsmanship, it has the ability to educate and deliver a subtle or powerful message. Originating from her iconic exhibition, “Brooching It Diplomatically” featured in TIME Magazine in 1997, curator Helen W. Drutt states,
“Jewelry is the most personal of artforms and its' intimate connection with human beings in inescapable.”
As a precursor to Ruth Bader Ginsburgs’ iconic Collars of Dissent, Secretary of State Madeline Albright announced her personal and political views through the brooches (pins) she wore”. “Brooch” and “broach” are the same word. Brooch is derived from a verb meaning to stab, pierce in order to liberate something, give vent or publicity to, begin conversation or discussion about, introduce. Drutt emphasizes, “Brooches do broach” (ideas). The author adds, jewelry does SPEAK volumes or whispers. The artist creates the message and the wearer and viewer are in conversation. Some jewelry designers, not only excel in making beautiful objects, but they also view themselves as artist, activist with the undeniable drive (and responsibility) to tell a story or convey an important message through their work. The past year of personal struggles and global unrest was no exception, yet, somehow the artists were able to bring understanding and meaning to these unexpected events.
With the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsgburg, one of the most influential and respected females of our time, countless makers were inspired by her actions and took action (without even being called upon to do so) to create works in her honor.
Bridget Parlato is one of those. Her work “In Honor of HER Honor” was featured in the Sculpture to Wear exhibition called Feel the Frill and “Contrary To The Ordinary” in 2021 at Scape Gallery. Now this work, comprised of 1,000 paper beads created from cutting and painstakingly rolling the printed paper of Justice Ginsburg's dissenting cases is featured in the exhibition “Craft as a Tool for Activism” at the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design.
It is a virtual, nationwide juried exhibition and artist marketplace, juried by Glenn Adamson, Ebitenyefa Baralaye and Nate Watson. As the curatorial statements notes, “The national reckoning for social justice spurred by protests and the Black Lives Matter movement has made clear that all museums and arts organizations must do better to represent, engage, financially support, and communicate with their communities. “Craftivism” (as coined by Betsy Greer in her 2011 essay “Craftivist History” in Extra/Ordinary: Craft and Contemporary Art) celebrates the power of craft to bring about political change”. 50 works were chosen from over 400 submissions.
“In Honor of Her Honor” is currently available by Sculpture To Wear Gallery in So. Calif. (Price $5,000 USD) Bridget Parlato of Full Circuit Studio thanks Jeff Trueman making the video and creating original music!
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MOTIS LEPORARIUS (greyhounds) by Adriana Del Duca for GENOS Luxury Jewelry
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Jewelry of Undeniable Meaning continues: The “themes” in traditional exhibitions named by the curator, set the stage, the tone and lay the foundation for an intention and wearable art is no different. It is the framework, the architectural backbone, driving force of the concept to be explored by the artists. Whilst some host obvious undertones, the theme of nature can offer a more subtle landscape for presenting a non-verbal idea, however, this does not imply passivity as evidenced in The Shape of Nature hosted by DBC International Designer Space - Beijing Design Week, Sept. 26th – Oct. 6th 2021.
“The exhibition theme is The Shape of Nature in jewellery art. Wearability, techniques and aesthetics are important parts for admission. The committee received hundreds of excellent international submissions from all over the world. After the evaluation and selection, 62 international artists have been selected and 3 prizes are awarded. The next steps of this project will be the official book edition, exhibition, and art jewellery conference organization”. Curator Herman Sun. Yes, the exhibition includes the usual suspects of nature inspired elements, branches, seeds, sand, colorful floral convections, yet its this unusual necklace Motus Leporarius Necklace by Adriana Del Duca of Genos Gioelli that makes an unexpected mark. It portrays “action” in a unique way: dogs coming, going and in equal footing handsome in both the attack and retreat mode. Leporarius, from hare hunting, is the term from which Levriero (greyhound) derives, the breed of dogs that inspired the design of this necklace. The designer Adriana Del Duca explains: “I chose this animal for its stylized shape with strong communicative power. Caught in the act of jumping into its silhouette, the quintessence is captured, that is what animates the figure, the latent energy that makes it alive, in motion.” The Motus Leporarius necklace is made by assembling 56 plexiglass shapes that make up the figure of the greyhounds. Their combination returns a play of overlapping lines that give further dynamism to the necklace. The technique used takes into account the behavior of the forms through transparency, movement and reflections. The creative process is inspired by some principles of optical art and kinetic art typical of the artistic movement headed by the VenezuelansCarlos Cruz Diez, Alejandro Otero and Jesus Soto. Materials: Plexiglass, onyx, magnets, Dimensions: 68 x 8 x3 cm, Photographer: Gennaro Navarra. Motus Leporarius with a clasp secured by magnets, offers the choice of wearing it two ways: to see the dogs run away or call them back (see below). Because of the gifted design plan of repetition in her creative calculations, Adriana is able to actualize wearable art that connects us with “man’s best friend” in the most striking and unexpected manner – it evokes flexibility by the way it shaped, the ability to be worn inside out and the clarity of materials black and white … Greyhounds are the CLEAR winner. To see / purchase Adriana’s work ( range $150-$1,100) , please view the STW gallery site here on OVERJEWELS.
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MOTIS LEPORARIUS (greyhounds) Reversible collar running TO or AWAY from you
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Lisa M. Berman, is the Visionary Proprietor of Sculpture To Wear, a gallery instrumental in launching studio jewelry in the United States. Berman curates exhibitions and places collections into museums, as well as offering an eclectic array of art, jewelry and unique objects via her gallery installations to discerning collectors, media and art institutions, which have been featured in multiple films, television and publications. She is also the founder of Berman Arts Agency, Official West Coast Representative of the Archival Collections of Robert Lee Morris, Cara Croninger and Marc Cohen. In 2020, Berman was appointed the first Ambassador in the United States for ARTISTAR Jewels located in Milan. Her gallery is the first to collaborate with their global brand. Photo of Lisa M. Berman by Bonnie Schiffman
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This is the second of my monthly columns for OVERJEWELS. If you enjoyed, it, please subscribe. COLLECTORS Look for select pieces from the Sculpture To Wear collection to purchase there. ARTISTS: If you would like to be considered for this selection, please submit your work to: info@sculpturetowear.com
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