Radical developments in jewelry from across the world, from traditional metalsmithing to computer-aided design
The Jewelry of Ideas is published in conjunction with Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum's exhibition celebrating gifts from the Susan Grant Lewin Collection of Contemporary Jewelry. This renowned collection, built by the New York-based Lewin over several decades and recently donated to Cooper Hewitt, captures the diversity and achievements of art, or studio, jewelry with nearly 150 significant works by designers from the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The brooches, necklaces and rings--the majority of which were made in the last 15 years--reveal how these contemporary jewelers have revolutionized the medium. Many take their cues from age-old jewelry conventions but transform them into expressions of our time. Others confront social, political or highly personal concerns using unconventional materials and techniques that range from traditional metalsmithing to computer-aided design.
Among the more than 100 featured designers are Giampaolo Babetto, Gijs Bakker, Friedrich Becker, David Bielander, Iris Eichenberg, Eva Eisler, Sandra Enterline, Arline Fisch, Thomas Gentille, Herman Hermsen, John Iversen, Daniel Jocz, Herman Jünger, Jiro Kamata, Otto Künzli, Bruno Martinazzi, Bruce Metcalf, Dorothea Prühl, Wendy Ramshaw, Joyce Scott, Kiff Slemmons and Art Smith.
Descriptions of specific works demonstrate that while the mastery of materials and techniques is critical to the creative process, it is not an end in itself, but only the means to accomplish an aesthetic vision. Process statements from each designer and a full gallery of the jewelry accompany the narrative sequence of extraordinary, stirring, uncommon pieces from this consummate collection.
- Superb contemporary art jewellery from the past two decades from the Susan Grant Lewin Collection, on view at Cooper Hewitt Design Museum, New York
- Includes around 150 outstanding pieces by 102 jewellery artists from the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, mainly from the past 15 years
- Radical developments in jewellery from across the world, from traditional metalsmithing to computer-aided design
- Featuring avant-garde works showcasing the limitless potential of jewellery design
The consummate Susan Grant Lewin Collection - recently donated to Cooper Hewitt - captures the diversity and achievements of contemporary art jewellery with nearly 150 significant works from the last 15 years by designers from the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia.
The brooches, necklaces and rings reveal how these contemporary jewellers have revolutionised the medium in transforming jewellery conventions as expressions of our time. Descriptions of specific works demonstrate that while the mastery of materials and techniques is critical to the creative process, it is not an end in itself, but only the means to accomplish an aesthetic vision. Process statements from each designer and a full gallery of the jewellery accompany the narrative sequence of extraordinary, stirring, unique pieces.
Contents: Foreword by Caroline Baumann; Collector's Statement by Susan Grant Lewin; Collecting and Wearing by Ursula Ilse-Neuman; Born of Ideas: The Susan Grant Lewin Collection by Ursula Ilse-Neuman; Gallery of Jewellery (Pioneering Jewellers, Content-Driven Jewellery, Abstract Forms, Conceptual Jewellery); Index of Works and Jewellers' Statements by Thomas Gentille; Acknowledgements; Biographies.
