Now Showing: Myung Urso: Signature (through Wednesday, February 29)

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:03:00 +0000

Myung Urso artist's statement:

"Since I have begun to make jewelry as an art form people frequently ask what are my signature works. Signature defines a creative person's identity. When originality is applied to art it expresses a personal visual statement.

My jewelry as an art expression transforms itself from my imagination and observations from life. It figuratively shapes itself from either abstraction or illusion through the use of black and white Asian calligraphy and hand stitching applications. Calligraphy in my South Korean culture is considered as an art form rather than a skill. The brush stroke freely expresses it's strength and the water-based ink reveals the depth of contextual images. Sewing is a technique regarded as a common daily life skill for women in the culture.

These two primal ancient fundamental techniques support the basis for my contemporary jewelry. Each jewelry piece evolves in it's own way through a creative process that is balanced between shapes and special influences. My jewelry forms are often realized in the moment rather than manipulated in a controlled way.

This organic experience might be referred to as a sign of nature 'Signature'."

Photos: Timothy Fuss

Charm Brooch

Dream Brooch

Gray Scape Brooch

View all available images from this exhibition

Velvet da Vinci Gallery
Contemporary Art Jewelry and Metalwork
2015 Polk Street (between Pacific and Broadway)
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-441-0109

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Now Showing: The De Patta Project (through Wednesday, February 29)

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:28:54 +0000

New jewelry made with old stones acquired from the estate of Margaret De Patta (1903-1964)

In February, The Oakland Museum of California will open an exhibition of modernist jewelry pioneer Margaret De Patta's work. This retrospective will travel to the Museum of Art and Design in New York City in June 2012.

Studio jeweler Margaret De Patta blended Constructivist principles with Bauhaus design to create miniature sculpture that moved with its wearer. Based in the Bay Area, De Patta, who studied with Bauahus sculptor Moholy-Nagy in Chicago is credited with starting the American studio jewelry movement on the West Coast. The Oakland Museum holds the largest collection of De Patta's work, most of which was donated by her husband Eugene Bielawski after the artist's untimely death in 1964. De Patta and experimental lapidary artist Francis J. Sperisen explored the optical effects of faceting and lenses on gemstones to create wearable sculpture unlike any jewelry of the time.

The De Patta Project was born when Velvet da Vinci purchased many of these unset stones from the estate of Margaret De Patta. There are some beautiful cut stones by Francis J. Sperisen, cabochon stones and beach pebbles found by De Patta. De Patta's nontradtional use of gemstones and non-precious pebbles are key to the understanding the importance of her influence on the field of contemporary jewelry. 16 jewelers have now used these stones to create pieces for an exhibition opening at the same time as the Oakland Museum De Patta retrospective. The De Patta Project exhibition also includes De Patta's original drawings of unrealized jewelry pieces and tools from her famed workshop.

Special thanks to Martha Bielawski for making this project possible.

Portrait of Margaret De Patta (1941) Image: Oakland Museum of California

Margaret De Patta Stones, Some Cut by Sperisen

Petra Class Brooch with Margaret De Patta Stones

View all available images from this exhibition

Velvet da Vinci Gallery
Contemporary Art Jewelry and Metalwork
2015 Polk Street (between Pacific and Broadway)
San Francisco, CA 94109
415-441-0109

If you use iGoogle, use this button to add our news feed to your iGoogle page:

Velvet Da Vinci Gallery News

Now Showing: Myung Urso: Signature (through Wednesday, February 29)

Now Showing: The De Patta Project (through Wednesday, February 29)