EXPO ‘The Plastic Show’, Velvet da Vinci Gallery, San Francisco (US) – 1er-31 Oct. 2010

 ‘The Plastic Show’, Velvet da Vinci Gallery, San Francisco

(Rebecca Hannon earrings- ‘Modular Multi-Color’ – Formica, sterling silver)

 

 ‘The Plastic Show’, an exhibition featuring work from the recently published Lark Jewelry Book 500 Plastic Jewelry Designs. The Plastic Show features 250 pieces by 75 artists employing a variety of plastic materials such as resin, latex, rubber, epoxy, and thermoplastics, many of which are reused or recycled. Having been embraced by artists and designers, these materials are now firmly woven into the language of contemporary jewelry making. Used alone or in combination with traditional elements, these substances can, with certainty, be classified as precious. Thanks to the use of plastics, conventional components like silver, gold, platinum, and gemstones are now only part of the jewelry-making equation. The jewelry in this collection represents the best work being produced today by artists who use plastics as a foundational element in their pieces.

 

Participating Artists:
Shana Astrachan, Anastasia Azure, Ela Bauer, Lea Marie Becker, Iris Bodemer, Sofia Björkman, Sigurd Bronger, Burcu Büyükünal, Ana Margarida Carvalho, Peter Chang, Joe Churchman, Jens A. Clausen, Barbara Cohen, Lisa and Scott Cylinder, Peter Deckers, Coco Dunmire, Janine Eisenhauer, Beate Eismann, Ute Eitzenhofer, Diane Falkenhagen, Jantje Fleischhut, Javier Moreno Frias, Velina Glass, Robly A. Glover, Suzanne Golden, Rebecca Hannon, Tamara Grüner, Arthur Hash, Pavel Herynek, Ellen Himic, Eero Hintsanen, Kath Inglis, Jiro Kamata, Masumi Kataoka, Sun Kyoung Kim, Sarah King, Susanne Klemm, Jocelyn Kolb, Katja Korsawe, Birgit Laken, Margaux Lange, Carla Pennie McBride, Edward Lane McCartney, Karen McCreary, Charlene Modena, Masako Onedera, Niala Orsmond, Emiko Oye, Seainin Passi, Mary Hallam Pearse, Ruudt Peters, Natalya Pinchuk, Katja Prins, Yuka Saito, Karin Seufert, Leslie Shershow, Susan Kasson Sloan, Anika Smulovitz, Lin Stanionis, Rebecca Strzelec, Donna Mason Sweigart, Anthony Tammaro, Billie Jean Theide, Carolyn Tillie, Cynthia Toops, Silke Trekel, Jacomijn van der Donk, Christel van der Laan, Mona Wallstrom, Kathryn Wardill, Emily Watson, Karla Way, Josephine Winther, Sayumi Yokouchi, Lily Yung, Sandra Zilker.

 

En bonne « fille des années 60-70″ je voue un amour inconsidéré au plastique ! Il faut dire aussi qu’un événemant particulier de ma vie a grandement joué en ce sens : petite, vivant à Thessalonique (nord de la Grèce), on y subissait de nombreux tremblements de terre. L’un d’eux a déclenché un gigantesque incendie où ma famille a TOUT perdu. Mon ère a pleuré son Toulouse-Lautrec, moi mon nounours, et ma mère son argenterie qui a entièrement fondu …. MAIS …. les pompiers nous ont remis ce qui a vait été sauvé : la VAISSELLE en PLASTIQUE, rangée dans le placard au-dessus de l’évier, près du réservoir d’eau ……… c’était le premier signe ! ensuite, remeublement oblige, mes parents se sont entièrement remeublés en « design tout plastique » : sièges en ABS de Guy Paulin, tables plastique de Vico Magistretti chez Artemide, et toute « l’invasion » de plastique orange des années 68 (vous visualisez ? la balance terraillon en plastique orange ? le tourne-disque Phillips mallette-portable-ouvrable ? les miroirs à bords arrondis de chez Artemide ?  les tables de nuit de chez Kartell ??? ) ………et voilà ! j’AIME le plastique !! ses infinies possibilités de formes, ses couleurs « décapantes », son humeur joyeuse  ……….. bon, d’accord, il n’est pas écologique DU TOUT et, parait-il, rend stérile ….. mais … ça me réjouit et me met en joie !

 

Yuka Saito – Brooch ‘Under the Sea’ – Polypropylene, nylon, acrylic, sterling silver

Birgit Laken « Summer-in-the-City » Necklace (from the Lovin’ Spoonful series)

Tamara Grüner « Bavarian Heat » Brooch

Suzanne Golden « Welcome to Hawaii » Necklace

Suzanne Golden « Plastic Fantastic » Bracelet

Rebecca Hannon ‘Orna’ Necklace

Sun Kyoung Kim « Protrusion » Brooch  &  « Palm 01″ Brooch

Mona Wallström « Foam » Brooch

Emiko Oye « The Duchess » Neckpiece (from My First Royal Jewels)

Masako Onodera « Effervescence » Brooch   & Germination Brooch 3″

Natalya Pinchuk « 25.09-Growth Series 2009″ Brooch

Susanne Klemm « Mutation » Rings

Anika Smulovitz « Body in Motion: Study » Neckpiece  &  « Body in Motion: Study 5″ Neckpiece

Kathryn Wardill « White & Pink Pod Branch » Brooch   & « Pink & Grey Pod » Necklace

Josephine Winther « Rubyfruits » Necklace& earrings

Emily Watson « Solo Flight » Brooch  &  « Vena Cava » Ring

Donna Mason Sweigart ‘Ruff’ Necklace

Katja Korsawe ‘Panty’ Necklace

Arthur Hash « Chain » Necklace

Karin Seufert -  Brooch 259 – Pvc, reconstituted coral, elastic, steel

Anthony Tammaro – necklace

Sayumi Yokouchi – Brooch ‘White dish’ – Airline meal tray (! ), silk thread

Sayumi Yokouchi brooch

Lin Stanionis – Brooch – ABS plastic

Sofia Björkman Brooch 

Mary Hallam Pearse « Bling Brooch #4″  & « Bling Brooch #5″

Rebecca Strzelec Brooches 

Javier Moreno Frias « Split » Brooch  & « Maimed » Brooch

Jacomijn van der Donk Necklace

Joe Churchman « Burden Cuff »

Ela Bauer Necklace & ring

Coco Dunmire « The Yellow One » Brooch

Robly A. Glover « Bobber » Necklace

Leslie Shershow « Neon & Gem » Brooch 

Masumi Kataoka Brooch 

Charlene Modena Endangered Gangotri Glacier Bracelets 

Jantje Fleischhut « Nightfall » Brooch 

Barbara Cohen « Bloom » Ring & « Ties Thet Bind » Ring

Velina Glass « Uro » Brooch  &  « Fossil » Brooch 

Burcu Büyükünal Brooch 

(All images from The Plastic Show at Velvet da Vinci Gallery)

 

 

Velvet da Vinci Gallery
2015 Polk Street
San Francisco CA 94109  (USA)
Phone [phone]
Tuesday – Saturday 11 to 6,   Sunday 11 to 4

http://www.velvetdavinci.com/shows.php

EXPO ‘Not the Family Jewels!’ – gallery1724, Houston (USA) – 6 Fev-14 Mars 2010

« Not the Family Jewels! » is an exhibit of non-traditional approaches of wearable artworks curated by Emily Sloan and including the artwork of Gabriel Craig, Arthur Hash, Lauren Kalman (image), Masumi Kataoka, Katja Korsawe, Edward McCartney, Gwendolyn McLarty, Erika Pahk, Natalya Pinchuk, Gary Schott, Amy Weiks, and Kristi Wilson.

« This year the Society of North American Goldsmiths will hold its annual convention in Houston. That event inspired curator Emily Sloan to put together this small show of distinctly non-precious jewelry at Gallery 1724, the funky hair salon/art gallery hybrid on Bissonnet.  “Not the Family Jewels!” explores the modern practice of craft. [...]  there are plenty of actual pieces of jewelry in the show. Edward McCartney created a necklace made of bobbers (called Fishing Necklace). The little spheres, bisected with red on one side and white on the other, make a rather large, attractive piece of neckwear, though probably too bulky to be practical. German artist Katja Korsawe’s necklace, made of twisted rubber bands, is likewise impractical; the rubber will harden and become brittle. But it looks great: red and knobby and textured. The curious Eskimo Kissers by Gary Schott look like colorful felt-covered pacifiers. It is hard to know whether they are meant to be jewelry or tiny sculptural objects. Ultimately, that is what this entire show is asking. » (Thanks to Robert Boyd at Labs, Houston blog)

Lauren KALMAN – ‘Pearls’  –
Katja KORSAWE (DE) necklace (rubber-bands) - (photo Robert Boyd)
Edward McCartney – Fishing necklace

Gallery 1724
1724 Bissonnet St. (between Dunlavy and Woodhead)
Houston, Texas 77005 – USA
[e-mail]
tél [phone]
Monday-Saturday 11am-6pm, appointment recommended
For an appointment, call 713-582-1198.

‘POOR’ JEWELRY – designBOOM

The struggle of precious with non-precious materials is typical of recent years and has prepared a new way for ‘young contemporary jewelry’. Neither preciousness nor eternal preservation seems to be important to this new breed of arty accessories – with its value lying in its communicative potential. Within the young international jewelry scene, the new arrangement of everyday materials is a sovereign one and provides pieces with a lively expression. in the middle of the 20th century, a large part of society consisted of middle class people, conservative. In their taste and whose ideals were very strong and deeply-rooted, a society little inclined to change its lifestyle or its symbols. Jewelry was often viewed as an emblematic gesture, a sound investment that could be passed down through generations. There was, however, another part of society ready for renovation. Industry and fashion have changed the approach to jewelry by removing its symbolic and ancestral value. In a society, where great importance is given to superficiality, jewelry has been deprived of any cultural value thus limiting its understanding and consequently its distribution. In this context, the pioneers of the contemporary scene, albeit with some difficulty, had a fertile ground to work on.

does it represent what it did in the recent past?
When economy is stagnant, it is obvious that contemporary jewelry is faced with a very difficult challenge. It seems to be a restricted matter, among a rather small group of people and moves in a limited market, for many reasons including the fact that it does not shift a large sums of money. However, it seems the role of jewelry nowadays is not determined by whether the field is restricted, but whether the designers will be able to maintain and develop this specific sector. Often people do not understand why something so minimal and simple, made from materials such as used material, silicone, plastic, glass, and paper, should be so ‘expensive’. For most people, ‘contemporary’ and ‘the use of poor materials’ is equivalent to economic.

so what makes some things valuable and others not?
These contemporary accessories are made of innovation and artistic research. A piece of jewelry is not merely a decorative ornament; it usually has a meaning, which might be a celebration of something, or a loss, it might be very personal, but these meanings can also be universal, recognizable in today’s society. The rigorous monumentality of ‘poor jewelry’ comes alive when it is worn, when the tactile pleasure of the alternative materials comes into play. In the research of innovative materials, the here featured artists’ work is characterized by an empirical approach – solutions are found by direct experimentation.

page 1 : glass, ceramics & stones :

Kaste HELMI - glass rings (Finland) — Gabriela FELDENTRAGER porcelain rings (Germany)

page 2 : paper, wood & plants :

Kiwon WANG paper rings (South Korea/USA) — Terhi TOLVANEN wooden bracelet (Finland)

Barbara UDERZO – « green » jewelry

page 3 : metal, plastic & soap :

Mason DOUGLAS soda can ring (USA) — Katja KORSAWE  elastic bands bracelets  (Germany)

page 4 : textiles, rubber & fur :

Rita MARCANGELO burnt silk ring (Italy) — Burcu BUYUKUNAL rings (Turkey)

Il ne nous reste plus qu’à fêter cette créativité !

CHAMPAGNE !!

Margarida MATOS cork ring (Portugal/UK)