Contemporary Pieces Using Gemstones From Margaret De Patta Collection
The Velvet Davinci Gallery in San Francisco held an exhibit of contemporary jewelry artists creating new jewelry with old stones.
“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. ”
Jewelers represented in this exhibit:
Deborah Boskin
Dawn Nakanishi
It is difficult, when creating jewelry for an exhibit celebrating the work of an historical figure, to decide the best balance among:
– referent and reference to the past, both in terms of De Patta’s jewelry style, as well as the overall modernist aesthetic.
– showcasing your own personal style
– demonstrating a sense of what contemporary style means today
– showcasing the gemstones used
It’s useful to explore these artists’ other work you can see images online, to get a better sense of the artist, as well as a better sense of De Patta.
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