FINDINGS
- The Association for Contemporary Jewellery's quarterly
newsletter.
January 2002
Schmuck - Five Jewellers from Germany
Kath
Libbert Jewellery,
Salts Mill, Saltaire,
8 November-31 January 2002
For
those of you who don't venture much into 'the provinces' I can strongly
recommend the trip to Salts Mill in Saltaire near Shipley in Yorkshire.
This magnificent building was the vast mill set up by the Victorian
entrepreneur and philanthropist Titus Salt. It now houses exhibitions
of the region's most famous son, David Hockney, and a variety of
other businesses, including Kath Libbert's Jewellery Gallery.
'Schmuck' is presented alongside the 'shop' part of the gallery
space and is easily distinct from it, allowing the work of the German
jewellers to be seen as a group show in its own right. Readers may
remember a trailer for this exhibition in the last Findings, illustrated
by an image of the 'Gordian Knot' rings by Barbara Schmidt. Her
work is also available in plastic postcards, pre-cut and ready to
pop out so that the lucky recipient can fold up their own Gordian
ring. These clever structures are rather pleasing and look like
a fun idea, particularly in plastic. Her other pieces did less for
me as this theme was not expanded. There were necklaces of long
gently folded rectangular units with a motif of regular saw-cuts
across the fold, and brooches in slightly twisted versions of the
same units, attractive but not as funky as the rings.
Ursula Hoffman comes from a textiles background and her prime area
of interest must be colour since it is the most obvious feature
in her work. Necklaces of small pompoms and matching clip earrings,
a necklace of beaded spheres in contrasting tones, and collars of
frayed dyed silk using a bright cheerful palette. At first glance
this is a bit like Angela O'Kelly's work, but softer and possibly
lighter (I often want to handle other people's work but at an exhibition
one has to settle for touching only with the eyes). Symbolism as
a theme cropped up in the work of two of the exhibitors: Vitalis
Kubach who had some minimal and understated pieces in metal but
was at her strongest with her 'Seelensteine', soul-stones worn on
a simple cable. These were pebbles from the banks of the Rhine,
cut open, hollowed out and lined with gold leaf. The combination
of materials and simple forms created a pleasing totality, hence
the name. Martina Lang in contrast used sensual cushion forms that
suggested the physical rather than the spiritual. The two tone pendants
and large rings although bold didn't look as interesting as the
carved amber encased in a gold or iron frame. This amber is opaque
and buttery and looks quite edible, contrasting well with the fine
square wire.
Out of the five exhibitors my favourite was Anna Gluck whose pieces
were very simple hollow shapes with either a silver or gilt finish.
These geometric forms are strung on steel cable and can be worn
individually or combined, not a new idea but beautifully presented
as a well thought out range of work. Altogether an enterprising
exhibition.
Frances Julie Whitelaw