Podcasts about victoria albert museum

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Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2024 66:12

A student at the École Beaux-arts de Versailles (1983–1985), and then at the École Nationale Supérieure d'Art de Bourges (1985-1988), French artist Valerie Belin obtained the French higher national diploma in visual expression in 1988 and also holds a diploma in advanced studies (DEA) in the philosophy of art from the Université de Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne (1989). Initially influenced by various minimalist and conceptual tendencies, Valérie became interested in the photographic medium in its own right; this is at once the subject of her work and her way of reflecting and creating. Light, matter and the “body” of things and beings in general, as well as their transformations and representations, constitute the terrain of her experiments and the world of her artistic ideas. Her work is articulated in photographic series, each one produced within the framework of a specific project. Valérie's work has been exhibited around the world and is held in numerous public and private collections. Winner of the Prix Pictet in 2015 (Disorder), she was made an officer of France's Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2017. This same year, a touring exhibition was co-produced by the Three Shadows Photography Art Center in Beijing, the SCôP in Shanghai and the Chengdu Museum. In 2019, Valérie unveiled a major new series at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and this year, 2024, she has been named as Master of Photography at Photo London where she will have a major career retrospective.Valerie lives and works in Paris. In episode 228, Valerie discusses, among other things:Her father being an artist at heartThe influence of a particular teacherThe dual influence of American minimal art and Italian baroque artHow she discovered photography and was inspired by a misogynistic teacherNot photographing people initiallyPresence and absenceWhy she chose bodybuilders as her first foray into shooting peopleThe theme of beautyHow women are ‘attacked' by stereotypesAI being paradoxical to what she wants to showThe importance of Photoshop to her practiceWhere the ideas come fromUse of comic booksMaking a livingRecent series' ‘Heroes' and ‘Lady Stardust'. Referenced:Carl AndreRobert MorrisTony Smith (sculptor)Richard Serra Website | Instagram“I think it's still true to say I'm very close to my medium and to the hybridation, because if you think of it what is photography today when with the same camera you can make videos, you can make whatever you want? I think we are in a time when you always have a kind of superimposition in your mind, you have several channels on all the time in your mind and maybe my pictures are showing that way of thinking or way of living.” Become a full tier 1 member here to access exclusive additional subscriber-only content and the full archive of previous episodes for £5 per month.For the tier 2 archive-only membership, to access the full library of past episodes for £3 per month, go here.

Talking Travel – Museums Returning Artefacts Back Home

Talking Features

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2024 3:00

In this week's Talking Travel, Rory takes a look at a new loan-style deal from the Victoria & Albert Museum, and how it might change how Britain utilises many of its stolen artefacts from across the world in its museums.

The Wonder

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Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2023 68:48

This week we're going back to 1860s Ireland with The Wonder! Join us as we learn about anorexia mirabilis, turf, Victorian hair tokens, and more! *Content Warning: This episode features discussion of eating disorders and sexual abuse. Sources: Caroline Walker Bynum, Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women, University of California Press, 1988 Gail Sher, "The Fasting Spirit," The San Francisco Jung Institute Library Journal 8, 2 (1988) Angela Bourke, The Burning of Bridget Cleary, Penguin Books, 2001 Interview with Emma Donoghue, NPR, available at https://www.npr.org/2016/09/17/494360267/emma-donoghues-new-novel-the-wonder?t=1658214518736 Interview with Sebastian Lelio and Florence Pugh, Deadline, available at https://deadline.com/2022/11/the-wonder-florence-pugh-sebastian-lelio-interview-contenders-los-angeles-1235177120/ "Neo-Victorian Incest Trauma and the Fasting Body in Emma Donoghue's The Wonder Lin Elinor Pettersson Nordic Irish Studies Vol. 16 (2017), pp. 1-20 (20 pages) https://www.jstor.org/stable/26486974" Liam Kennedy, ""The People's Fuel": Turf in Ireland in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries," Energy Transitions in History: Global Cases of Continuity and Change, edited by Richard W. Unger, 25-30 (2013). https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Verena-Winiwarter/publication/260497629_The_View_from_Below_On_Energy_in_Soils_and_Food/links/02e7e5317108b2128c000000/The-View-from-Below-On-Energy-in-Soils-and-Food.pdf#page=27 Emmet Larkin, "Economic Growth, Capital Investment, and the Roman Catholic Church in Nineteenth-Century Ireland," The American Historical Review, 72, no.3 (1967): 852-84. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1846659 Muiris O'Sullivan and Liam Downey, "Turf-Harvesting," Archaeology Ireland 30, no.1 (2016): 30-33. https://www.jstor.org/stable/43745953 Caitriona Clear, Social change and everyday life in Ireland, 1850-1922 (Manchester University Press, 2007). https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt155jj46 "Two Men Cutting Turf with their Dog in the Background," n.d. https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.30233352 Rory Carroll, "‘We're being left with nothing': Ireland's turf wars expose rural grievances," The Guardian (4 May 2022), https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/may/04/were-being-left-with-nothing-irelands-turf-wars-expose-rural-grievances Jolene Zigarovich, "Circulating Bodies: Secular Mementos, Jewelry, and Hairwork," in Death and the Body in the Eighteenth-Century Novel (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2023) 131-56. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv2hq0hnc.8 Victoria & Albert Museum examples of mourning rings: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O376217/ring/ and https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O376204/ring/ and https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O123385/mourning-ring-unknown/ Deborah Lutz, "The Dead Still Among Us: Victorian Secular Relics, Hair Jewelry, and Death Culture," Victorian Literature and Culture 39, no.1 (2011): 127-42. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41307854

Hannah Starkey

In Talks With

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2023 35:30

In this episode, host Danielle Radojcin travels to East London to meet Hannah Starkey, the British photographer. Since she first came to prominence in the 90s, Starkey has built up an impressive body of work focusing on women and how they are represented. Born in Belfast in 1971, she studied photography and film at Edinburgh's Napier University in the 90s and went on to study photography at the Royal College of Art in London. Today, her work can be found in major collections including the Tate and the Victoria & Albert Museum and In 2019 she was awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society.From autumn 2022 until the end of April 2023, the Hepworth Wakefield gallery in West Yorkshire presents the first major survey exhibition of Starkey's work. In this episode, Radojcin and Starkey discuss Starkey's process and how she works with her subjects; what she calls “the consumer gaze” and the tyranny of social media, porn and the fashion and beauty industries on young women; and the power of photography as a tool for communication. Episode photo: Jeff Moore

social media art british artist photography photographers feminism edinburgh scotland belfast east london royal college west yorkshire starkey jeff moore honorary fellowship royal photographic society victoria albert museum napier university

The Mayman Show | S3 E3 | Mohammed Khoja, Saudi fashion designer and Founder of Hindamme

Arab News

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 29, 2022 28:44

On this episode of the Mayman Show get to know Saudi fashion designer Mohammed Khoja, how he founded his brand Hindamme, how Saudi sub cultures inspire his creations, and how his apparel has been selected to be on display at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

Episode 177 Part 2: History at Your Fingertips: How Beatriz Chadour-Sampson Catalogued 2,600 Historic Rings

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2022 35:37

What you'll learn in this episode: How Beatriz discovered and catalogued the 2,600 rings in the Alice and Louis Koch Ring Collection at the Swiss National Museum How Covid lockdown changed how people wear jewelry Beatriz's tricks for making a jewelry exhibit more engaging What it's like to work with jewels uncovered from shipwrecks How global trade has influenced how jewelry is designed and made About Beatriz Chadour-Sampson Beatriz Chadour-Sampson studied art history, classical archaeology and Italian philology at the University of East Anglia, and at the University of Münster, Germany. Her doctoral thesis was on the Italian Renaissance goldsmith Antonio Gentili da Faenza. In 1985 she published the jewelry collection of the Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Cologne. Since 1988 she has worked freelance as a jewelry historian, curator of exhibitions and academic writer in Britain. Her numerous publications on jewelry, ranging from antiquity to the present day, include the The Gold Treasure from the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (1991), and 2000 Finger Rings from the Alice and Louis Koch Collection, Switzerland (1994). She was the consultant curator in the re-designing of the William and Judith Bollinger Jewelry Gallery at the Victoria & Albert Museum (opened in 2008), London and was guest curator of the ‘Pearl' exhibition (2013-14). She is an Associate Member of the Goldsmiths' Company, London. Today Beatriz Chadour-Sampson works as a freelance international and jewelry historian and scholarly author. Her extensive publications range from Antiquity to the present day. Additional Resources: Instagram Museum Jewellery Curators - Goldsmiths' Fair Photos available on TheJeweleryJourney.com Transcript: Working in jewelry sometimes means being a detective. As a freelance jewelry historian and curator of the Alice and Louis Koch Ring Collection at the Swiss National Museum, Beatriz Chadour-Sampson draws on her wealth of knowledge to find jewelry clues—even when a piece has no hallmark or known designer. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about how she creates jewelry exhibits that engage viewers; how she found her way into the niche of shipwreck jewelry; and what it was like to catalogue 2,600 rings. Read the episode transcript here. Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the second part of a two-part episode. If you haven't heard part one, please head to TheJewelryJourney.com. My guest is Beatriz Chadour-Sampson. She's been the curator of the Alice and Louis Koch Ring Collection at the Swiss National Museum for almost 35 years. Welcome back. Beatriz: You asked about the catalogue. We didn't know if the exhibition was going ahead at one point, but I was asked by V&A Publishing to do a book on pearls, which I did. So, yes, we did a book which was for sale during the exhibition. That was in 2013. We redesigned the jewelry gallery, and 2008 was the end of that. The pearls exhibition was in 2013, the beginning of 2014. Sharon: Why was it redesigned, the gallery? Beatriz: The jewelry gallery. With all galleries, there comes a point where they need to be refreshed and renewed, and the previous design needed it. You even had gates you had to get through, and if you weren't quite as slim as myself, you would have problems getting through the gates. When it was redesigned, it was a completely different aesthetic. As I said, the boards have to tell the story, so when the visitor walks in, they have to understand the story and go from one to the other. Some people say the gallery is very full, but it is a study collection. We asked the education department artists to do certain things. I was very keen on going “from cradle to grave.” The gallery is chronological, so you want a display before you start to know why you wear jewelry. A child wears jewelry or a mother wears jewelry to protect them at childbirth, or they wear it for status or religion or whatever it is. Jewelry is multitasking, multifunctional. Today we think of jewelry as decorative, but that is not the case. Jewelry was made for an occasion and a reason. With status, you always have the big diamonds and the big stones. That has always existed, in recently centuries definitely. But there are so many more reasons for jewelry, for mourning and birth and good luck. That sort of exists today, probably with charms. So, jewelry is multifunctional. Then we have a screen with pictures from different centuries showing portraits because, at a jewelry gallery, you can't see the pieces on someone. They need the body, but they don't have the body. So, it's good to have a screen showing how the jewelry was worn through the centuries, which is very important. Also in the display, each board—let's say you had earrings, a necklace and a bracelet. The concept was that what you wear on the top of the head goes on top. What you wear around your neck comes next and then the base, so you have a feeling of an abstract body in a way. It's not always obvious, but I try to think of it logically. Of course, with the contemporary, we couldn't do that. It is all chronological until you get to about the 1950s, and that's it. You have to find a completely different concept. So, we decided to do it by materials. Good chronology at the beginning, but then it comes into materials. Natural materials, new metals, techniques. You couldn't do decades. That couldn't work. So, we did it by materials, which is an interesting aspect because you have all the different materials they use in comparison to all the gold and silver you see throughout the gallery. Suddenly, you're seeing a whole wall of completely different materials. Sharon: What is your role as co-curator? You're curator and co-curator of so many places. What's your role as a co-curator? What do you do? What do they call in you for? Beatriz: It's an advisory role. The Victoria and Albert Museum is a bit more than just an advisory role. You're working with the team, with the architect. It's a team procedure, but as I say, everybody has their own role to play. It intermingles, of course. Sharon: At other times, you've talked about a different museum in Switzerland where you came, and it looked just—was it at eye level? Was it low? Was it too high? Beatriz: Oh, that one, no. You remembered that detail. The eye level, that was the Victoria and Albert Museum. That is in the center of the gallery because we did a display for a tourist who goes to the museum and only has 10 minutes to look at jewelry history. So, in the center you've got these curved glass cases. The jewelry is on special mounts. You remember that. I asked my colleagues of different heights, from four foot something to six foot something. In the storage room, we had glass doors where there was a lot of storage space with artifacts in it, and I used Post-it Notes to put the different heights of people to see what a good eye level is. So, if you're looking at a broach or a tiara or something, you want it on the level where you more or less visualize it on your body so you can see it well. So, yes, that's the Post-it Notes. I used not only double-sided tape and pieces of paper, but also Post-it Notes, trying to find the right height for the pieces. Eye level is hugely important, but the other museum you're thinking of may be something I'm current advising on. This is really an advisory role. It is a museum that will open next year, the Dubedeen, a German museum. Of course, there are gemologists there that are very specialized, but their museum experience is missing. So, I'm giving a little bit of advice on the background of things. Don't put a plinth that you can fall over. Don't make drawers that a child can get their fingers caught in. You learn these things from places like the Victoria and Albert Museum. There's health and safety. There's also the height of displays, the attention span of visitors. Text shouldn't be too long. It's more of an advisory role than an active role. Sharon: I'm thinking about attention span. You must have seen that really go down. It seems nobody has more than two seconds for attention anymore. Beatriz: There is an element of that. I think the Koch Collection of rings in the Jewelry Gallery is one of the most visited in the England museums. When you get to sparkle and glitter, there's more attention span, but not so much on the text. Sharon: Yeah, that's probably true. You've also done a lot of work on shipwrecks. That's very interesting. Beatriz: That goes back to 1989. By sheer coincidence, I came to work on shipwrecks. I was in New York when I was working on the Concepción Collection. I met Priscilla Muller of the Hispanic Society of America in New York, and I helped her with some Spanish and Portuguese jewelry. When she was asked, she just didn't have the time to work on the shipwrecks. She thought with my Spanish and Portuguese knowledge, I would be suited for that, so I was asked by Pacific Sea Resources in 1989 to work on an incredible shipwreck called the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción from 1638 that sank. It was the usual thing, mutiny and the wrong person taking care of the ship. That's a private story, not a jewelry story, but the interesting thing is that the jewelry was basically made for Spaniards in the Philippines. The jewelry was made in the Philippines, the majority of it for Spaniards. It was a Spanish colony at the time. When I was first went through it, I thought, “It looks quite European. It looks O.K.” I signed the contract, and little did I know how much research was involved for the material, which I hardly knew. It was because of the influence. The Spaniards definitely had European design books they brought with them. By then, you had printed books with designs in them, and they must have had them there. Chinese craftsmen were working for them in the Philippines, and of course the Chinese had great skills with outside countries. Some of it looks very European, and some of it is Indian influences, Siamese influences, and influences from Java, Sumatra. The chains, heavy gold chains, were certainly Chinese filigree. In fact, I told the Ashmolean Museum it belonged to Sir Elias Ashmole, whose portrait and chains still exist in the Ashmolean Museum, and I told them that one of the gold chains he had was Chinese. It was given by the Kuffners from Brandenburg, and I happened to find out that the Kuffners from Brandenburg travelled to China. So, that all fit. That was a little like detective work. That was published in 1990. I've recently been working again on shipwrecks, just a few pieces of absolutely fascinating jewelry found off the shore of the Bahamas, which has now been in the Maritime Museum on the Bahamas for only a few months. I also worked on the Atocha in Key West. I organized an exhibition in Hanover for them, where we did a display of the Atocha and Santa Margarita events. But what's so fascinating about shipwrecks is that we see so many portraits of beautiful jewelry from the Renaissance, the 16th, 17th centuries, where they really documented beautifully painted jewelry in paintings. Thanks to that we can study them in detail. All this jewelry doesn't exist anymore, especially gold chains, because gold chains were the easiest thing to melt and reuse for more modern jewelry. As I have said, I have a smile when somebody talks to me about recycled gold being something new. Well, it's nothing new. Recycling gold goes back centuries. Sharon: I'm surprised because in the pictures, you always think it's a straightforward gold chain with no Chinese engraving or anything. You think of it as a gold chain. Beatriz: Some of it is simple, what they called a P-chain. You saw loads of it, especially on Dutch paintings. But in the Atocha there was a spiral. You can see they're very tidy on the portraits, but it looks as if they had a spiral at the back holding the chain so they flowed down properly. Some of those chains we had were definitely Chinese filigree because those chains are filigree. In the 1655 shipwreck from the Bahamas, there's a chain like that, and that's mainly why they asked me to look at it. That certainly reminded me of some of the Concepción work, which was Chinese craftsmanship. The trade was amazing. You had trade happening in the Philippines. Even the Dutch were trading with the Spaniards. The Dutch were trading silks and spices from China and so on. These big galleons went from the Philippines to Acapulco and Vera Cruz and then to Havana. They went on a route around South America, loading and offloading things from Europe. It's interesting because in Seville, there's the Archivo General de Indias, and there they have all the books on the shipping material. Like with the Atocha, they found out which ship it was because the gold bars have a text mark on them, and that coincided with the documents they have in Seville. It's fascinating. It's a fascinating field. Sharon: It seems like it. Beatriz: It's a mystery and it's global, of course. Made in Asia; there's nothing new. It's hundreds of years. There would not be any porcelain in 18th century Europe the other way around. Sharon: Do you get to see the ship right away? When it comes up, do you see it when they pull it from the ocean? Beatriz: No. When I was asked to work on the Concepción, I had to travel to Singapore where it was being cleaned and conserved. In one instance I had to say, “Stop cleaning because I think there's enamel underneath, black and white enamel. Stop.” You have to be careful because you have to get rid of the marine dirt. No, I got to see it after it was cleaned or while it was being cleaned. Sharon: Wow! And then what? It goes to the museum? What happens afterwards? Beatriz: It nearly got split up and sold at auction. I'm glad it didn't because it's a historical find, but unfortunately you have to go the Mariana Islands to see it. You can't see it always. The material is put together, and it was published in a black and white archaeological report. It was published in 1990, so at least it's documented. National Geographic did a beautiful spread with color, so you know what it's like. Sharon: What have you learned from parsing these shipwrecks, from researching the shipwrecks? Beatriz: The extent of influence in Europe of some motifs and how far they went. It was made in the Philippines and sold in Europe because everything that was made and transported on this galleon, the Atocha, at some point went to Seville and then it was traded on. We definitely know that the emeralds the emperors were after came from Colombia and then went through Havana to Seville. It's a fascinating trade, but the trade is something we never think about. In Roman times, the Roman emperor wanted pearls, so they traveled to southern India to get pearls. History does amaze one. Sharon: It does. You're working on many projects now. What can you tell us about some of them? Beatriz: I can tell you what's half-finished and what's coming. I've had a year of three books. I co-edited a book with Sandra Hindman, founder of Les Enluminures. I need to add Les Enluminures because for many years, I've been their jewelry consultant. They're based in Chicago, New York and Paris and are specialized mainly in Medieval and Renaissance jewelry, but this has nothing to do with the book we did. It just happened to be that we worked together again. Sandra and myself did something called a liber amicorum in honor of Diana Scarisbrick, a leading jewelry historian. It was for her 94th birthday, and we kept it a secret until her birthday. It had 20 authors in three languages all writing in her honor. That has come out. It's now available. It was published by Paul Holberton. It's on varied topics, from archaeology to today, really. 20 authors contributed towards that. Today I received my copy of a book I worked on for the Schmuckmuseum, so it's now published. The launch is on Sunday, but I won't be traveling to Germany for that, unfortunately. It has to be a Zoom celebration for me. It's to do with the humanist Johann Reuchlin. He was from Pforzheim. He lived in the late 15th to the 16th century, and it's about script and jewelry from varying periods. It's a lot of contemporary jewelry as well. The cover doesn't really tell you that because it was the 500th anniversary of, I think, his death date. So, he was honored in this book, which has just come out, with essays from many people. Lots and lots of jewelry. That was published by Arnoldsche, and it's called—I have to think of it—German sounds so much easier in this case. It means script and pictures worn on the finger. I worked on rings with script on them. Sharon: With writing you mean? Beatriz: Yeah, writing, that's it. There are a lot of other topics in the book as well, but jewelry is certainly the dominant. Yes, they are rings. Mary Queen of Scotts is somebody who wrote her inscription inside the ring and was loyal to the queen. Had that been seen, her head would have gone to the chop. It's rings with prayers on them or rings with some sort of amuletic inscriptions. It's all inscriptions on rings in my case, and it's about Josiah Wedgwood who gave this ring to John Flaxman. You've got a whole history behind it. It's rings with script on them, highly visible on the bezel, either visible on the bezel or inside the hoop. Sharon: In English or German? Beatriz: It's basically German, I'm afraid to say, but with lots of good pictures with excellent captions, which are international. I am bilingual in German and English, but I haven't written German for a long time. I've actually written a third book that's coming out, but that won't come out until January. That was a huge task. It's on jewelry from Bossard from Lucerne. It started in the early 19th century, but the two I worked on were a father and son from 1869 until 1934. That was the period of historicism. It was also a time of fakes of Renaissance jewelry being made, because there were so many collectors who wanted Renaissance but couldn't afford the real Renaissance jewelry. So, it was very tempting for fakers to make fake jewelry. When I started, I didn't know what I was in for, but I have come to the conclusion that it's pure historicism, what Bossard made. I had very little jewelry to go on, just a few pieces in private hands, but I did find by sheer coincidence a drawing, and I found the bishop who it belonged to. You have a hundred drawings by the Bossard Company over this whole period, and it's very interesting material to see their designs they were making. In some instances, it's real Renaissance. I don't know if they were Renaissance or if it was actually made later. Then it gets critical. It's a very complex period, but a very interesting archive in the Swiss National Museum in Zurich. Sharon: For next year, do you have other projects going on? Beatriz: Yes, the coming projects. I mentioned the gem museum, which is opening next year. I'm in the midst of advising. I'm going to be working very shortly—I've already started a bit—on the jeweler Eileen Coyne from London. She's been working on jewelry since the 1970s and continues to make jewelry very, very different to anything I've worked on before. What I find so fascinating is that her imagination and inspiration come from the material. It comes with the material and the tools. She also uses interesting gemstones and beads that come from ethnic backgrounds. She uses the most amazing materials. Also jades, carnelians, all kinds of things. So, we're going to do a book. She had a shop in the 80s and into the 90s. Her jewelry was displayed in Harvey Nichols in London, and she had a shop where all the celebrities and royals went shopping. It was quite an interesting clientele. We'll see if we get photographs or if they allow us to show some of the things they bought. It's very much about discretion in such cases. So, that's interesting, a completely different type of jewelry. I'm really excited about it, but at the same time, I've also been involved, and am more involved now, in an artificial intelligence project. That is a ring that has been designed by Sylvia Reidenbach and John Emeny in England. Sylvia Reidenbach is German, but she teaches in Glasgow and London and all over Europe as well. She has created, with John Emeny, a ring with artificial intelligence based on one or two rings from the archaeological museum in Munich, a few rings from the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremburg, and 150 rings from the Koch Collection. There's one design. The machine makes the design, mixes it all and combines it into one design. The ring is now being made. The stone is labradorite. It's been on display since Wednesday last week in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum but will be coming to Zurich afterwards. So, I'll be learning a lot about AI and design. That is completely different from anything. I like the natural materials and history, and then the contrast is the AI. Sharon: The AI is the dimensions of all these hundreds of rings? Beatriz: Yes, the images are put into the machine, the AI. Don't ask me the technology of it because I haven't got a clue about AI technology. I'm at the beginning of it all. I'm learning, but I have seen how it develops. The images are fed into the machine, like the 150 rings from the Koch Collection and the others, and the machine designs one ring out of that. Sharon: Wow! So, it's already made and in the museum. Beatriz: Only just now. It's hot off the press, but there's more to come on that. There will be more to come on that, yes. Sharon: You've written several other books. You wrote “A Life in Jewels.” Beatriz: That is the book we did for Diana Scarisbrick, honoring her. I've written books since 1981, so it's added up quite a bit. Sometime I can give you a list. Sharon: How about the influence of women on 20th century jewelry? Has it changed jewelry? Has it made it more feminine? Beatriz: It's an extremely complex story, the role of women in design. You have to see it from the role of the woman in history. Just recently by coincidence, I've seen some material on women painters from the 16th and 17th centuries. In Bologna, for example, there were quite a few, and it's only now coming to the fore. You also have to see high jewelers' workshops in the field of jewelry. You don't have a Renaissance piece of jewelry and know, “So-and-so made it.” That didn't exist. It's only in the 19th century that we start that. The hallmarking system in England goes back to the 13th century, but jewelry was considered smallware, so they didn't consider putting a hallmark on it. That changed later on, the but the name of the designer is something that we very often don't know. The high jewelers of the 19th century, when you knew the name of who made it in Paris or New York, you never know the name of the designer. That is something that came in in the 20th century. You have some classical examples. With Cartier, it was Jeanne Toussaint. She designed some of the iconic pieces for Cartier and the Duchess of Windsor. She worked for I don't know how many decades designing jewelry. She was a very important female designer. Then you've got Coco Chanel. She designed jewelry, mostly costume jewelry, but she also designed diamond jewelry. Not that she wanted to, but it was for the nation and probably the economy that she did it. Elsa Schiaparelli, with her fantastic surrealist jewelry, made that incredible neckpiece with beetles in plastic. If you had to date that as a jewelry store and you didn't know the background, you'd easily say 1970s or 80s. It's so amazing. In that period, you also had Suzanne Belperron with her really unique designs in jewelry. Of course, the role of the woman changed after the First World War. You had millions of widows, and they had to work. The whole society was changing. After the Second World War, it became even more evident that women were working. I was very cheeky. I did a lecture. It was in the British Museum, and I was talking about the changing role of men and women buying jewelry. You can imagine the shock of some of them. I said, “Women go out and buy their own jewelry.” Before it was classical: the husband bought the jewelry for the wife. They were the earners, so they bought it. There were a few examples in the early 1900s, like the Duchess of Manchester, whose tiaras are in the Victoria and Albert Museum. She was one of these Dollar Princesses and quite a character. She liked smoking cigars and all. She went off with the family diamonds to Cartier and said, “Make me a tiara, and use up the garments.” You have Lady Mountbatten, who, after the birth of her daughter, Pamela, decided to go to Cartier and buy herself a nice bracelet that she could also wear in her hair in the 1920s. There are a few examples. On the whole, it was always the husband buying the jewelry, but past that, you have women earning money and buying their own jewelry. The 60s sets off in that direction, and then it becomes jewelry that's more affordable. Jewelry has never been so diverse as in the last decades. It's never been so diverse in all its history. If you look at the Royal College of Art, I think you'll find that, in general, there are a lot more women in training to become jewelers. You find so many names of women designers, now one doesn't even talk about it. Whether it's a man or a woman, it's just become a norm. Sharon: That's interesting. If you stop to think about it, I don't even know if there are that many male designers. I'm thinking about when I go to studios. You see more women than you do men. Beatriz: It's more and more, yes. There are more and more women, absolutely. Sharon: What would you advise? What piece of advice would you give emerging jewelers or people who want to follow in your steps? Beatriz: Remember that if you're a jewelry historian, you're an academic. Remember that. You have to really enjoy what you're doing. In my case, I was very lucky. I've worked for so many different projects and so many different jewelers internationally. I've specialized in that, but it's very difficult. Maybe, depending on the economic situation, people can volunteer in a museum to learn the trade. I think what you really have to know is do you want to work in a gallery, or do you want to work in an auction? Do you want to work in a museum? They don't always mingle, so you have to learn where you want to go. It depends on what your interests are. If you have anybody, send them to me privately. I'm happy to talk it through. Sharon: Thank you for being with us. Beatriz: My pleasure. Sharon: Well will have photos posted on the website. Please head to TheJewelryJourney.com to check them out. Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.

america women new york university history chicago art europe english ai china england germany zoom chinese european german spanish italian indian world war ii natural britain museum colombia singapore switzerland dutch manchester philippines south america renaissance collection rings glasgow historic bahamas portuguese national geographic munich recycling medieval windsor jewelry zurich java havana duchess cologne jewels royal college key west sampson first world war brandenburg veracruz acapulco british museum seville cartier antiquity hanover east anglia concepci scotts coco chanel sumatra spaniards nuestra se siamese goldsmiths indias mary queen fingertips albert museum italian renaissance lucerne associate member atocha pforzheim harvey nichols faenza maritime museum nuremburg ashmolean museum santa margarita elsa schiaparelli archivo general in roman bossard mariana islands victoria albert museum angewandte kunst transcript working hispanic society

Episode 177 Part 1: History at Your Fingertips: How Beatriz Chadour-Sampson Catalogued 2,600 Historic Rings

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2022 33:22

What you'll learn in this episode: How Beatriz discovered and catalogued the 2,600 rings in the Alice and Louis Koch Ring Collection at the Swiss National Museum How Covid lockdown changed how people wear jewelry Beatriz's tricks for making a jewelry exhibit more engaging What it's like to work with jewels uncovered from shipwrecks How global trade has influenced how jewelry is designed and made About Beatriz Chadour-Sampson Beatriz Chadour-Sampson studied art history, classical archaeology and Italian philology at the University of East Anglia, and at the University of Münster, Germany. Her doctoral thesis was on the Italian Renaissance goldsmith Antonio Gentili da Faenza. In 1985 she published the jewelry collection of the Museum für Angewandte Kunst, Cologne. Since 1988 she has worked freelance as a jewelry historian, curator of exhibitions and academic writer in Britain. Her numerous publications on jewelry, ranging from antiquity to the present day, include the The Gold Treasure from the Nuestra Señora de la Concepción (1991), and 2000 Finger Rings from the Alice and Louis Koch Collection, Switzerland (1994). She was the consultant curator in the re-designing of the William and Judith Bollinger Jewelry Gallery at the Victoria & Albert Museum (opened in 2008), London and was guest curator of the ‘Pearl' exhibition (2013-14). She is an Associate Member of the Goldsmiths' Company, London. Today Beatriz Chadour-Sampson works as a freelance international and jewelry historian and scholarly author. Her extensive publications range from Antiquity to the present day. Additional Resources: Instagram Museum Jewellery Curators - Goldsmiths' Fair Inside the Jewel Vault with Dr Beatriz Chadour-Sampson Photos available on TheJeweleryJourney.com Transcript: Working in jewelry sometimes means being a detective. As a freelance jewelry historian and curator of the Alice and Louis Koch Ring Collection at the Swiss National Museum, Beatriz Chadour-Sampson draws on her wealth of knowledge to find jewelry clues—even when a piece has no hallmark or known designer. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about how she creates jewelry exhibits that engage viewers; how she found her way into the niche of shipwreck jewelry; and what it was like to catalogue 2,600 rings. Read the episode transcript here. Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the first part of a two-part episode. Please make sure you subscribe so you can hear part two as soon as it's released later this week. My guest today is Beatriz Chadour-Sampson. She's been the curator of the Alice and Louis Koch Ring Collection at the Swiss National Museum for almost 35 years. She's also a jewelry historian, art historian, educator, author and a whole bunch of other things I'm sure I'm missing out on, but she'll fill us in today. Beatriz, welcome to the program. Beatriz: Thank you very much for your invitation. Sharon: Can you tell us about your jewelry journey? It's been quite a journey. Beatriz: Yes, the journey starts many years ago when I was a small child, in fact. I'm not a young chick at the moment, but I started off in my childhood with jewelry. I have to tell you a little bit of the family history. I was born in Cuba. My father was Russian and my mother was British. There's a whole story of European history, including being five times refugees from Europe within Europe. That's the aside, but my father learned how to cut and polish diamonds during the war in Cuba. After the war, he opened an import/export business for gemstones. It's not unknown. You'll probably find on the internet a picture of me, age three, sorting stones in his office in Cuba. We left Cuba during the Cuban Revolution. I was a Cuban subject as well as my father, but we left and never returned. He opened a business called Chadour Charms, Inc. in New York. I always spent my holidays in New York. My mother was working in a company where I couldn't tag along. I spent most of my free time as a child on 47th Street, which was called the gold and diamond alley at the time. My father designed charms. He had the gold cast and then set the stones himself. On 47th Street we had many friends we visited. One had a refinery for gold and silver; the other one sold supplies for goldsmiths, which was quite exciting. I encountered pearls, corals, diamonds and all sorts of jewelry experiences. That was from three years to early childhood. It was about three years altogether in New York. Then my father was offered a job in Frankfurt am Main in Germany. He spoke fluent German. It was an American company building a pearl business in Frankfurt. That's when I got even deeper into jewelry. Of course, there was also the trade. You can call it child labor today. In those days maybe it was seen slightly differently, but I did my homework with the secretaries. After that, I was stringing pearls, writing invoices and doing all kinds of things with pearls. When I was slightly older, I was allowed to make pearl pairs. Don't think that a pearl is white. It's nowhere near white. There are so many different colors and lusters that come in the pearl. So, I was setting pearls, hundreds of pearls, sorting them by a quarter of a millimeter, and then pairing them for earrings and matching the pearls in their luster so they could be worn as earrings. From there we went on to jewelry, so stones and charms. Something interesting with the charms—I have a little anecdote. I was researching a book, “The Power of Love,” which came out in 2019, and I was looking in an auction catalogue for a famous love ring that Sir Laurence Olivier gave to the actress Vivian Leigh. Late at night, as I do very often, I was searching on the internet for the auction catalogue, and suddenly I see a charm bracelet. I couldn't believe my eyes. One of the charms she had on the bracelet was designed by my father. I can prove that because I have the same charm on my charm bracelet. It was a ship in the sunset, as you see in the background. So, that was going down memory lane. When I reached the age of 18, I said, “I don't want to have anything to do with jewelry ever again.” I had enough. I grew up in the jewelry trade. It was all trade. Lo and behold, I then decided to study art history in Germany and England, but I did my thesis in Germany at the University of Münster. My subject at the end of this was Antonio Gentili, a Renaissance goldsmith. He came from Faenza. He worked for the Medici and the Farnese families, two very high families. He also did works for the Vatican. I remember in my early years after my dissertation, I used to see the Easter Mass on television in Germany. I was looking to see if the cross and candlesticks I worked on were on the show on the altar, which most years they were. I then got into goldsmiths' work. It's through my jewelry background and my thesis on Renaissance goldsmiths' work that I was awarded a scholarship to write the catalogue of 900 pieces of jewelry for what is now called the Museum for Applied Arts, the Museum für Angewandte Kunst. The collection covers 5,000 years of jewelry history. I was really plunged into the deep history of jewelry. There weren't so many books at the time. They were more archaeology books. This explosion of jewelry books is something that came after I had finished the catalogue. There was a lot of research that was quite complex, but I enjoyed it. It was wonderful to gain that experience and knowledge of a wide part of jewelry history. That was in 1981. I finished the catalogue. It was published. That was also my first experience doing an exhibition because when the catalogue was launched, we had an exhibition with the jewelry. More recently I've been with the Cologne Museum since 1981. It was the first time. They're now doing a new display of the jewelry. They're still planning it. I think it's due to come out next year, so there will be a new display of the jewelry I catalogued. Then I was offered a job in Hanau, Germany. Many will not realize that Hanau has a history in jewelry that goes back to the 17th century. Up to the First World War, it was a center for producing hand-manufactured jewelry. Today, they have an academy where you can learn how to make jewelry. That goes back to 1772. So, it's a city of great tradition of jewelry. I was Managing Director of the Gesellschaft für Goldschmiedekunst. I was organizing exhibitions and competitions and catalogues, and it was all contemporary jewelry. When I was working in Cologne, that was my first encounter with contemporary jewelry. I met people who I became great friends with. I also took part in the many events of the Forum für Schmuck und Design, which still exists. So, those were my early experiences with contemporary jewelry, but when I got to Hanau, I was plunged right into it. I had all kinds of jobs to do, as I said, exhibitions, catalogues and competitions. I stayed there for about three and a half years. In 1988, I was asked if I would catalogue the Alice and Louis Koch Collection. Louis Koch was a very famous jeweler in Frankfurt au Main, Germany, and he and his wife collected rings, among many other collections. It was a family of collections. By 1904, they had about 1,700 rings. There are over 2,600 rings now. I was asked to catalogue the 1,700 rings, which took me quite a long time, but I was doing all kinds of other projects in between. The collector allowed me to do that, which was great fun. In 1994, the historical collection was catalogued fully. It's like an encyclopedia of rings from ancient Egypt on. It covers 4,000 years of jewelry history. In about 1993, just before we finished the catalogue—and there are a few contemporary rings in the 1994 publication. I believe this collection from Louis Koch in 1904 went to a second and a third generation after he died in 1930. The fourth generation, we discussed it, and we came to the conclusion that they should make it their own and continue where their great-grandfather had finished. Now, their great-grandfather was, as I said, a very famous family jeweler in Frankfurt. The shop was called the Cartier of Germany, so you can imagine royalty wearing it and the national business. He was a quite a jeweler. They also expanded to Baden-Baden. He was a very fashionable jeweler, and he was a contemporary of René Lalique. He didn't buy rings from any other contemporaries, but he bought a ring by René Lalique, so he must have realized there was something very contemporary about Lalique. He was the modernizer of French jewelry at the time, using glass and gold that was unthinkable. So, we went on this venture from 1993 until the publication in 2019. We amassed a collection of 610 rings from the 20th and 21st century, which are all catalogued. Then the collection went into the Swiss National Museum. There was a small exhibition, but since 2019, there's a permanent display of 1,700 rings. May I add that the 610 contemporary rings are all on display, so we reduced repetitions within the historical part of the collection. Interestingly, this room's showcase is also round like a ring. With 1,700 rings, it's not an easy task because you have to go in a circle. We had big, brown panels of paper and played around with the rings. It starts with themes and then goes on chronologically to the contemporary. You couldn't make a mistake because once you got to ring 200, you couldn't go back to number 50. You can imagine going up to 1,700. I can say there are two rings that are not in the right place, but that's not too bad with 1,700 rings. Sharon: Did you have to photograph them? Beatriz: I'm very lucky to finish up on the Koch Collection. I'm now consultant curator to the Swiss National Museum in Zurich. I was responsible for the display there together with my colleagues in the museum. That was quite an experience. It's wonderful after 35 years to still be able to do this. I think they were a bit concerned about my babies and that I would want to run away from it, but that isn't the case. I really enjoy working with them. It's a pleasure. It's so rewarding, after 35 years, to see the collection on display, which was always in private hands from the 1900s onward. I've just written six blogs for the Swiss National Museum. One is on the Napoleonic Wars, and the stories are all told by the rings. The next one coming out in November is on Josiah Wedgwood and his sculptor, John Flaxman. Rings tell lots of stories. Sharon: Are the blogs in English? Beatriz: Everything in the Swiss National Museum is English, German, French and Italian. So, you take your pick which one you want. Sharon: Did you have to photograph everything? When you say you catalogued them, I think of a catalogue being a photograph and description. Beatriz: Oh, no. The photographs of the historical collection were all done by a photographer. It's very difficult because we had to choose one background for all. That was complex. It's pre-1994, so it's sort of an old, pale, gray blue. One color fits all because it was the encyclopedic nature of the books. With the 2019 book, I was working with the photographer in Zurich. I spent many weeks and months in Zurich sitting next to the photographer and choosing which angle because contemporary rings don't just have a hoop and a bezel. It's a piece of sculpture, so you have to know exactly which angle to take the photograph to show as much as you can of the ring. I was actually working together with the photographer. You learn a lot with such jobs. Sharon: Wow! Today there are all kinds of degrees you can get with exhibitions. Was it something you learned hands on or learned by doing? Beatriz: I was working at the practice in my second home of the Victoria and Albert Museum, because I was consultant curator to the William and Judith Bollinger Jewelry Gallery. I worked there for four and a half years on the displays. When you see the displays in the gallery, the concept was from me. I had little black and white photographs of the old gallery, nothing in color. It didn't matter that I knew the pieces by heart and each piece of jewelry was about the size of a small fingernail, and I got a damp hand from cutting out 4,000 images of 4,000 pieces of jewelry, very high-tech, of course. I had my pieces of paper, and I started thinking that every board has to tell a story. For me with an exhibition, the exhibit has to tell the story, and the text below on the captions really helps you understand it. Visually, I think it's very important that the pieces also talk. So, yes, I started before the architect was allocated and we worked together with 4,000 pieces. My colleague, Richard H. Cumber, worked on the watches, but otherwise all the jewelry is designed on black and white photographs on white sheets of paper with double-sided tape. Sharon: Do you have thoughts about why you got so immersed in jewelry? You said you didn't want anything to do with jewelry, but here you are immersed in it. What were your thoughts? Beatriz: You mean deep diving in it? Sharon: Yes. Beatriz: I grew up in the jewelry trade and experienced the Cuban Revolution and hardships, being refugees in New York and so on and then moving again to another country. It was complex. As a child, it wasn't quite easy. It didn't do me any harm. I've survived, but it was a really hard trade. What I was doing later, and still do now, is historical jewelry. It's a very different thing. I think I've gotten my love of jewelry back, yes, but I'm very keen on the wide picture of jewelry covering thousands of years. In fact, I've been doing courses for the Victoria and Albert Museum since 2008. When I do the “Bedazzled” one, which is a history of jewelry, I start with 150,000 B.C. I jump off it pretty quickly, but for me, it's so important for people to go back to that time to understand what jewelry was about. To me, it was certainly more amuletic rather than status. It was status as well probably. We can't follow that, but certainly I think amuletic to protect from the dangers. They lived in a very natural world, so the dangers were much worse than we could imagine. I think it's fascinating to see what was in other periods of jewelry history. It makes it much more exciting to understand what's happening now. Sharon: When you came to contemporary jewelry—it seems that you're pretty immersed in that also—what stood out to you? What made a piece different or jump out at you? There seems to be so much copycatting in many ways. Beatriz: Definitely, a lot of copycatting. I've worked on a collection of 450 pieces of, and I can tell you that's one of the most copied ones. On Instagram, I have to be careful that I don't get nasty remarks because I do point out, “Yes, we've seen that before. He was ahead of his time, but his style is still modern today.” When we were putting the Koch Collection together with the 610 rings, 20 from the 21st century, the individual l idea was very important for me. It has to be innovative; the idea has to be new; it has to be interesting. For the materials, it should be an experiment with new materials; different materials; materials you wouldn't use for jewelry. We talk about sustainable jewelry. Pre-1994 we have two rings in the collection made of washing-up bottles. We were way ahead of the times. Of course, Peter Chang used recycled materials, and we commissioned a ring from him. We did commission people that never made rings before just to put them to the test. It was very interesting. Sharon: I didn't know that Peter Chang was recycled. Beatriz: The materials are all recycled materials, yes. That is the amazing part, the recycled materials. These two crazy rings we bought from a German jeweler, it's just washing-up bottles. If you're creative and imaginative, you make something interesting. We have many important names who made rings. We have some wonderful rings from Wendy Ramshaw and so on. We have a lot of big names, but that was not the point. We have a lot of ones that just graduated or were young or completely unknown. It's more the idea and what they made. Of course, I was approached many times regarding rings and I had to decline, saying, “Sorry, we already have something like that.” I couldn't say it was not exciting. The idea was already there, so it makes it difficult. Unless it was interpreted differently, yes, that's fine. So, I think we got a lot of crazy pieces. The collector always teased me. He said, “Can you wear the ring?” I said, “Of course, could you wear the ring? What do you think?” I always choose rings for wearing. Of course, I have to admit there are a few that are not wearable. I'll admit to that, but I think with a collection like the Koch Collection, you're allowed to do that. There are few you really can't wear, or you can wear them with great difficulty. Sharon: Yes, I think about that. I always think about how it would be to type with a ring like that, or how it would be to work at a keyboard, something like that. Beatriz: I always say you don't wear the big, high jewelry pieces when you go shopping or washing up. Sharon: That's true. Beatriz: I won't say any company names, but the high jewelers of New York, Paris, wherever, they make those pieces. Those are rings. If they look great, they're wearable, but you wouldn't wear them every day while you're washing up or shopping or doing other tasks around the house. Sharon: That's true. That's probably why people don't buy them as much anymore. They don't have places to go, Covid aside. Beatriz: I think with Covid, the interesting thing is that we have rings that are sculptures. If you're doing a collection and somebody makes a ring sculpture, I think it's valid to be in the Koch Collection. We do have a few ring sculptures, including Marjorie Schick. But it's interesting that you mentioned Covid and when the pandemic was on. I don't want to go into the pandemic, but we have a much-increased Zoom culture. It did exist before the pandemic, people trying to reduce travelling and climate change and so on. It did come before the pandemic, but it is definitely an increased media. You can't really wear a ring and say, “Well, here's my ring.” You have to wear something that's in the Zoom zone. That's earrings and brooches. Fortunately, I'm somebody who likes earrings and brooches. I always have on earrings and brooches. Sharon: What you have on is very Zoom culture. It shows up well. Beatriz: The color shows up, yes. The earrings, they're made of silver and made by Eve Balashova, who works in Glasgow. Zoom is not a problem with this jewelry because, as I said, I love the earrings and certainly the brooch that goes with it. In fact, when I bought the earrings I asked, “Can you make a brooch I can wear with it?” Sharon: Wow! When you go out, do you see rings that make you say, “That should be in the collection”? Can you add new ones? Beatriz: Since the display in 2019, there are only a few additions. It sort of finished with the publication and the display, but there have been the odd new rings. I write a lot about that. We have had a few, and I'm hoping that next year they will be on display. Maybe half a dozen rings; not many. We might have another exciting one, but we have to wait. Until the collector has actually gotten his hands on it, I don't want to jinx things. Sharon: But you identify them and then they say yea or nay. Beatriz: Yes. They have bought things on their own as well, but we've done this together, yes. I've identified and advised. For me, it was wonderful. First of all, they don't know the collector. It's always the Koch Collection, but the family's name is different, so it was always very modest, without great names. I was the one who negotiated everything, and it always gave me great pleasure when I could stand up and say, “We've chosen a ring for the collection.” You find this great joy on the other end, especially for those young or unknown ones. You could imagine what it meant for them. It's always great joy. I love working with contemporary artist jewelers. I worked for 13 years as a visiting tutor under David Watkins. I always said I learned more from them than they learned from me, but I helped them with their Ph.Ds. I really enjoyed working with them, and it continued with being able to buy or acquire what they made for the collection. Sharon: You do a lot of teaching. You're teaching other classes in January at the V&A. Beatriz: Yeah. Sharon: It started online. Beatriz: Yes. In 2021, I did an online course, “Bedazzled.” Next year, in January and February, it's called “Jewels of Love, Romance and Eternity,” which is a topic I've worked on because I published the book “Proud Love.” We have a few other speakers who can bring another slant into it. Again, I start with antiquity, because you can't talk about love jewels without actually talking about Roman jewelry. Many people don't realize that the engagement ring or the proposal ring or marriage ring started with the ancient Romans. Sharon: I didn't know that. Beatriz: Diamonds in engagement rings started in the 15th century. It might be a little bit earlier, but that's more or less the dateline. So, there are lots of interesting things to talk about. As I said, I've been doing courses since 2008 at regular intervals. Also at the Victoria and Albert Museum, I was co-curator of the pearls exhibition. I did a lot of courses on pearls as well, and that is a fascinating topic. It was wonderful to work on that exhibition. It was together with the Qatar Museum's authority, but I was asked by the Victoria and Albert Museum to create an exhibition for the British public, which was very different to what they had in mind, of course. Sharon: There are so many new kinds of pearls, or at least kinds that weren't popular before. Tahitians and yellow pearls, that sort of thing. Beatriz: Yes, all these extra pearls are the cultured pearls. It's a history of the natural pearl. Qatar was a center where they were diving for pearls, so we did all the diving history, how merchants worked in that area in Bali and Qatar. The cultured pearl is, of course, Mikimoto. There are theories that the Chinese started the cultured pearls, but the one who really got the cultured pearls going was Mikimoto. He certainly did the science with it. He worked together with scientists and had the vision. Natural pearls were very, very expensive, and his philosophy was that every woman should wear a pearl necklace or be able to afford a pearl necklace. I think his task is fulfilled. It's interesting because the natural pearl doesn't have quite the luster of the cultured pearl. By the 20s, you have the cultured pearls coming in, and then by the 50s—when I did the exhibition, we had so many stories being told. Of course, some ladies from the Middle East are probably kicking themselves because they sold the family natural pearls because they didn't have the luster, and they bought the nice cultured pearls that are more flashy. Of course, now the value of natural pearls is unthinkable. Sharon: Was there a catalogue? Beatriz: With cultured pearls, you have the golden pearls and the Tahitian pearls and so on, but the color of the pearls depends on the shell they grow in, unless you have some that have been tampered with and are colored. But there are Tahitian pearls, golden pearls and all these different shades. Melo pearls have an orangey color. The color of the pearl is dependent on the shell it grows in. The rarest pearl is the pink pearl that comes from the Caribbean. That's the conch pearl; that's hugely expensive. You asked about the catalogue. Sharon: We will have photos posted on the website. Please head to TheJewelryJourney.com to check them out.

covid-19 love american new york university history power europe english england british french germany design zoom chinese european german russian italian romans middle east natural britain managing directors museum romance caribbean switzerland cuba renaissance eternity forum qatar bali rings glasgow historic gesellschaft frankfurt cuban vatican melo zurich ds cologne jewels sampson first world war medici cartier antiquity east anglia concepci schmuck hanau visually nuestra se goldsmiths fingertips albert museum bedazzled italian renaissance napoleonic wars baden baden cuban revolution associate member tahitian applied arts faenza sir laurence olivier easter mass lalique farnese victoria albert museum vivian leigh angewandte kunst peter chang david watkins transcript working

S4 Ep12: Witchcraft in Virtual Reality

Seeking Witchcraft

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2022 90:17 Very Popular

This episode features special cohosts, Aigne and Wren! Listen in as they discuss using virtual reality with witchcraft. This episode proves to be a thought provoking one--hope you all enjoy! Here are some links to some of the discussed topics. The one of several Arnemancy episodes about magic and tech: Science and Magic with Tres Henry https://arnemancy.com/articles/podcast/science-and-magic-with-tres-henry/ Virtual Reality Mystery School: https://vrmystery.school/ Article about Medusa AR at Victoria Albert Museum: https://www.xrtoday.com/mixed-reality/tin-drum-explores-art-with-medusa-project/ Technically Human podcast about ethics and tech, but touches on a lot of humanistic tropics: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2RtZG9uaWcvZmVlZC54bWw?ep=14 You can email Wren at hawkfirecoven@gmail.com or get in contact via their website at https://hawkfirecoven.com/. You can email Aigne at aignekyra@gmail.com. You can find Ashley on Twitter (@SeekWitchcraft), Instagram (@seekingwitchcraft), Facebook ("Seeking Witchcraft Podcast" or "Ashley Seekraft"), or the community Facebook group ("Witches Seeking Witchcraft"). Want to support the show and gain bonus community perks and features? You can do so at https://patreon.com/seekingwitchcraft *Please report the "@seekingwitchcraft_" account on Instagram, it's a scammer pretending to be me!*

science magic virtual reality witchcraft victoria albert museum arnemancy

Episode 162 Part 2: Why Fair Trade Is the Gold Standard for Ethical Jewelry

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2022 28:06

What you'll learn in this episode: Why an empty mind is the key to creative exploration The difference between an artist-jeweler and a jeweler or artist alone What fair-trade gold is, and how Ute became a pioneer in the ethical jewelry movement Why greenwashing is the newest trend threatening the ethical jewelry market How jewelry creates connections, even when someone wouldn't wear a piece themselves About Ute Decker Ute Decker, born 1969, Germany, lives and works in London, UK. The jewels of Ute Decker are described as “a powerful statement” that “sets a shining ethical example” (Financial Times). The Economist 1843 compares her “avant-garde sculptural pieces” to “swirling sculptures” while Christie's simply calls them “wearable works of art”. Ute's pieces are exhibited internationally and have won prestigious awards including Gold Awards from The Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Council, UK. Public collections include the Victoria & Albert Museum, UK; the Crafts Council, UK; the Goldsmiths' Company, UK; the Spencer Museum, USA; Musée Barbier-Mueller, Switzerland; and the Swiss National Museum. As a political economist-turned-journalist-turned-artist jeweler, Ute Decker is a pioneer of the international ethical jewelery movement. She works predominately in recycled silver and was one of the first worldwide to work in Fairtrade Gold. Additional Resources: Website Instagram Ute's Facebook Ute's Jewelry Facebook Photos Available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: When it comes to ethical jewelry, artist-jeweler Ute Decker is the real deal. She was one of the first people to use fair-trade gold when it became available in the U.K., and she has spent her career advocating for the use of truly ethically sourced materials in the jewelry industry. Above all, she's proven that ethical can be beautiful: her sculptural works have won several awards and are in the collection of museums worldwide. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about what fair trade means; how she approaches the creative process; and what makes an artist-jeweler. Read the episode transcript here. Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is the second part of a two-part episode. If you haven't heard part one, please go to TheJewelryJourney.com. Today my guest is Ute Decker, talking with us from London. Ute is an artist-jeweler who's known for her innovative method of sculpting, bending and twisting metal into three-dimensional, wearable sculptures. She works in fair-trade gold and recycled silver and is considered a pioneer in the international ethical jewelry movement. Welcome back. So how did all of this lead you into recycled material? Was that something you decided you wanted to do, and that was it? How did it happen? Ute: As we talked about at the beginning, as a teenager, I wanted to change the world. I was always quite environmentally mindful. Then studying political economics, working as a journalist, you think that is very far removed from being a creative, and at the time it certainly felt like a big break, but in hindsight I think it was an important apprenticeship I needed to take to become the jeweler I am today. As in political economics, you don't just look at the piece and take it as art for art's sake or design for design's sake. You want to know the meaning, the context, the economic, the social, the political, the gender. All those different histories and intersectionalities, that's my training to look at those. As a journalist, your training is to ask questions, so when I started out making jewelry, I did ask questions. Like many people, I've seen the film “Blood Diamonds,” and I thought, “Oh well, thank god I don't work with diamonds. I work with metals.” Then I started to look into gold, and the story is very similar to “Blood Diamonds” with gold. Of course, my reaction was, “I can't possibly work with this kind of material. I can't be part of the status quo. I'd have blood on my hands. It's discretionary. It's something I'm making. There's absolutely no need for those horrible stories.” So, I researched quite a bit and asked many questions about ethics. In 2009, when I started, there was no information out there whatsoever. In fact, I was met with a lot of hostility. Once you start asking about the ethics of jewelry, you're tainting the story because jewelry is sold as that beautiful, luxurious love, but it's such a tainted story. So, in the jewelry industry, those questions were certainly not welcome. I was met with either belittlement, “Don't you worry. Everything is fine,” or outright hostility. I think as a journalist that meant, O.K., if people avoid your questions, that means you're asking the right questions. I searched high and low and found a like-minded person who's been very active in that field. I was one of the very first to work with fair-trade gold when it was launched in the U.K. It was together with Fair Trade and Fair Mined Gold. Those two organizations have now separated. I know in America more jewelers work with Fair Mined; in Europe, more work with Fair Trade, but it's very similar standards. The main thing is it's fully traceable. We know exactly where it comes from. I know from which mine in the highlands of Peru my gold is coming from. I know it's not smuggled out from the Congo, supporting atrocities there. I know it's not smuggled out of Russia or somewhere else. It's fully traceable, every single gram. I'm registered with the Fair Trade Foundation in the U.K. The mine is registered as well as the importer, and the refiner is registered. We all have a number and we all declare how much we buy, and it's fully traceable. As a smaller maker, I'm audited every two to three years. I have to be able to show every single invoice; every single gram, I have to account for. It's being checked. It is quite bureaucratic, but that is the guarantee. The whole fair-trade ethos is trade not aid. It is about paying a fair price rather than the small-scale miner selling to middlemen, middlemen exploitation. It's very much about dignity: avoiding child labor, more gender equality, environmental standards of not burning down the Amazon. Fair-trade gold and fair-mined gold is a little more expensive, but in the great scheme of things, it is worth it. It's also quite interesting that we started with just 20 jewelers. In 2009, we launched jewelry. All the other jewelers were also very small, individual jewelers. The entire industry said, “Traceability is not possible. Our gold is clean.” Well, where does it come from? “It's clean.” But where? Traceability is impossible, we were told by the industry. Gold comes from all over the world, it's then refined mostly in hubs like Switzerland or Dubai. The gold from all over the world comes through those hubs and then is distributed again all over the world. Gold has no identity, and they said it is absolutely impossible to have traceability. So, as 20 tiny, little jewelers, and unimportant jewelers in the great scheme of things, we gave the proof of concept that it was something that is possible. The entire industry no longer could deny that this was a possibility. Sometimes you get so disheartened thinking, “Whatever I do as an individual, what difference could it possibly make? It couldn't be more than a drop in the ocean.” But the ocean is nothing but an accumulation of drops. We can change the waves. We can change. So, we have more power than we think we do. Sharon: First, let me ask you: What is Fair Trade and Fair Mined? What is fair-trade gold? Ute: I'll answer both of them together because they started out together. It was called Fair Trade and Fair Mined gold. Later those two organizations separated, but they wrote the standards together, so they're still very similar. When I say Fair Trade, you could almost consider it Fair Mined as well. They're almost interchangeable. I think I did once read the standard. It's pages and pages and pages of small print standards of environmental guidelines, of engaging with gender equality. It is about the minimum payments. Quite often with small-scale miners, it's not a job you do for fun. Artisanal sounds romantic, but it's not. It's a dollar-a-day, often horrible job, sometimes bonded labor, sometimes involving an awful lot of child labor. All of that is why the Fair Trade Foundation or Fair Mined works with the mine for a long time to come up to standard with certain environmental standards. They have to form a cooperative. We pay a premium that is then invested into community development. Women have a voice. Child labor is not allowed. Those mines are audited, and for their efforts they receive more money. It's really enabling those miners to have more dignity, to live in a cleaner environment, to help protect the environment for all of us, and hopefully earn enough money for those children not to go down the shaft, but to go to school. The question is, “Well, let's just not use any gold at all,” which I also heartily agree with. But as we said, these miners almost subsist on a dollar a day, quite a few of those small-scale miners around the world. 100 million depend on that income, and it's a poverty-stricken income. For us in the West to say, “Well, it would better if you didn't do that,” is not going to work. It is helping those communities to work more environmentally friendly but also to earn more money to eventually get out of mining. It is a slower process. It's not that we have all the answers. It's a process of empowerment. Sharon: How about the recycled silver you use? Do you only use recycled silver? How did Fair Mined lead you into only working with recycled silver? Ute: Fair Trade and Fair Mines initially were only gold mines. When you mine gold, in the ore there is some silver, but it's a much smaller percentage. So, there was availability of fair-trade gold, but very, very little of fair-trade silver. Of course, it's much cheaper to work with silver, so there would be a much higher demand. I would occasionally get a few grams of silver. I think now the availability of fair-mined silver is a little bit better. In fact, I've been told that it's quite good now, so I need to look into that again. It is a continuous journey, but at the time and until recently, there was not just enough availability of fair-trade silver. Otherwise, I would prefer to work in fair-trade silver. Recycled silver—now we call it recycled because we're all so green; we used to call it scrapping. So, we've always done that. We've never thrown away precious metals. For me, it is not necessarily an ethical proposition to work in recycled. It is a little bit better than nothing, but I wouldn't say I'm working ethical because I'm using recycled materials. I think that's almost the bare minimum we should be using. But then we come back to your earlier questions about art jewelry, artist jewelry, ethical jewelry. I don't like the term ethical at all, ethical jewelry. It seems to be a standard term now. Sustainable jewelry, it definitely isn't sustainable. We're using finite resources. Responsible is probably a better term. I quite like mindful, but then mindful is so occupied with other things, so you can't use that term. So, I use ethical jewelry as a term because I think we all know what we mean by that, but I don't particularly like the term. Sharon: Do your clients care? When you're having a showing or people call about your jewelry and you mention it, does it make a difference to them how you're working, whatever you want to call it? Do they care? Ute: Not as much as I would have thought. Not as much as I do. It is not what people call a unique selling point; it's not. If you do make small wedding bands, I think young couples, especially younger people, are much more engaged in that sustainable question. For them it's much more important. People find their way first and foremost because there is something that speaks to you about the forms I make. It's only afterwards, when they look closer and they see the materials I use. I think it is a certain appreciation of individually made, sculpted pieces that are unique even when I make a series, because they're all hand sculpted. I will never be able to make the same piece again, so even with a series, pieces are unique. If that somebody goes to the trouble and cares to choose the best material possible, I think that is appreciated, but nobody comes to me to buy a ring because it's made in fair trade. I would love to stop talking about this subject because I would love it to be normal, nothing special anymore, but after being met with so much hostility all those years ago in 2011, if you look at any website of jewelers now—especially high street—they all proclaim to have responsible sourcing, conflict-free diamonds. As a consumer, if you look, you think, “Oh, thank god all of it has been sorted.” I think our biggest problem now—because there are more and more responsible and ethical options available—is greenwash. Sharon: Greenwash, did you say? Ute: Yeah, greenwash. Greenwash means painting the status quo green, changing nothing, just making it sound green. Unless you have fully traceable, unless you know 100% where your materials come from, you can't make those claims. For me, using recycled is not necessarily ethical because there are huge issues with recycled. I'm always asked about that. I put a whole section on my website with several articles: “Is recycled or fair mined better?” because a lot of jewelers want to do the best. Rather than answering that question each time, I put quite a few articles on my website. Sharon: May I ask you this about your jewelry, about something you said before? It's always seemed to me that if you're doing a show, you're putting your work out there for people to judge. “Yes, I want a ring like that,” or “No, it doesn't appeal to me,” and they move onto the next thing. It must take thick skin. Ute: Interesting question. You would think so. Before I outed myself, I made jewelry for myself for nearly 20 years. I made what I wanted to wear, what I enjoyed. For me, it was totally unimportant if anybody else liked it. Sharon: Are the pieces you make for the shows pieces you like or pieces you want to make? Ute: When I started out only making jewelry for myself, I didn't show it to anybody. I made it for myself. It was out of interest and the creative joy of it. I wore the pieces, and it didn't matter whether somebody liked it. Then I accidentally showed my work for the first time, and I thought, “Who else is going to like this? I love it and some of my friends do, but maybe they're just being nice.” I did win a prize and things happened. It's quite amazing, to my greatest surprise, that several of my pieces are now in several museums including the V&A. I would have never, ever thought so. I think as any creative, to be authentic, you can't try to please everybody. You don't want to please everybody. It's wonderful that there are several people out there in the world who think that what I do speaks to them, but I'm quite happy for many people to just walk past. Sharon: It doesn't matter. Ute: Yes, it doesn't matter. There are some lovely older ladies who come. They giggle and say, “Oh, you couldn't do the gardening with that one.” I love that comment. It's still engaging, and they're interested in the shapes. It's so obvious it's not for them, but they still engage in a way. Jewelry, for me, is a way of making connections. You can't connect with absolutely everybody, but when it makes those connections, it's beautiful. So no, I don't have thick skin, because I guess enough sparkling eyes gives me joy as well. I see artwork that others are enthused about, and it doesn't speak to me. Maybe a few years later it does. So no, I'm not trying to please anybody. It's a joy that there are many people I can share the work with. Sharon: Your work is unusual, but if your work is not for gardening, as these women say, who is it for? Is it for younger people? Is it for people who appreciate the art and when they go garden, they'll put it aside? Who is it for? Ute: Every piece I make is a piece I want to wear. Maybe in a way it's firstly for me, so I can keep making them. I sell my work to support my habit. Mostly the people who are drawn to my work are mature, mostly women, but also men. Mature people who are confident that come in all shapes, sizes, ages, everything, but who feel quite confident wearing a piece like the ring I'm wearing or the beautiful ring you're wearing. Jewelry can also be very empowering. You put on a piece, and here I am talking nonstop, but I can be quite shy. Being in a gathering of people, especially for me to go up to somebody, yeah, I dread being in groups of people. When you wear a piece, it allows other people to approach you. It gives that invitation to speak to you. It doesn't say, “Hey, look what a cool piece I'm wearing.” It says, “Yes, I'm open to have a conversation.” It's amazing how many doors wearing my jewelry has opened. Then you start a conversation, and it naturally flows. Coming back to the question, it is for confident people, but it's also for non-confident people like myself. It's both. Sharon: I can see how it would be for confident people. I invite everybody to take a look at our website. We'll have picture. It's very unusual jewelry. I really appreciate you being here today. Thank you so much. Ute: Thank you. That time passed very quickly, Sharon. Thank you. Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.

Episode 162 Part 1: Why Fair Trade Is the Gold Standard for Ethical Jewelry

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2022 21:00

What you'll learn in this episode: Why an empty mind is the key to creative exploration The difference between an artist-jeweler and a jeweler or artist alone What fair-trade gold is, and how Ute became a pioneer in the ethical jewelry movement Why greenwashing is the newest trend threatening the ethical jewelry market How jewelry creates connections, even when someone wouldn't wear a piece themselves About Ute Decker Ute Decker, born 1969, Germany, lives and works in London, UK. The jewels of Ute Decker are described as “a powerful statement” that “sets a shining ethical example” (Financial Times). The Economist 1843 compares her “avant-garde sculptural pieces” to “swirling sculptures” while Christie's simply calls them “wearable works of art”. Ute's pieces are exhibited internationally and have won prestigious awards including Gold Awards from The Goldsmiths' Craft and Design Council, UK. Public collections include the Victoria & Albert Museum, UK; the Crafts Council, UK; the Goldsmiths' Company, UK; the Spencer Museum, USA; Musée Barbier-Mueller, Switzerland; and the Swiss National Museum. As a political economist-turned-journalist-turned-artist jeweler, Ute Decker is a pioneer of the international ethical jewelery movement. She works predominately in recycled silver and was one of the first worldwide to work in Fairtrade Gold. Additional Resources: Website Instagram Ute's Facebook Ute's Jewelry Facebook Photos Available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: When it comes to ethical jewelry, artist-jeweler Ute Decker is the real deal. She was one of the first people to use fair-trade gold when it became available in the U.K., and she has spent her career advocating for the use of truly ethically sourced materials in the jewelry industry. Above all, she's proven that ethical can be beautiful: her sculptural works have won several awards and are in the collection of museums worldwide. She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about what fair trade means; how she approaches the creative process; and what makes an artist-jeweler. Read the episode transcript here. Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is a two-part Jewelry Journey Podcast. Please make sure you subscribe so you can hear part two as soon as it comes out later this week. Today my guest is Ute Decker, talking with us from London. Ute is an artist-jeweler who's known for an innovative method of sculpting, bending and twisting metal into three-dimensional, wearable sculptures. She works in fair-trade gold and recycled silver and is considered a pioneer in the international ethical jewelry movement. We'll hear more about her jewelry journey today. Ute, welcome to the program. Ute: Sharon, thank you very much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here. Sharon: So glad to have you. Tell us about your jewelry journey. How did you end up doing what you're doing? Ute: Yes, it was rather unplanned. I'm the daughter of winemakers, several generations of winemakers. As a child, I thought that's what I wanted to be, making wine. So, I grew up in beautiful nature. As I grew up, I was more and more interested in politics, history, philosophy, and I ended up in political economics, because already as a teenager, I wanted to change the world. I thought it was best to have some understanding of how things work. During university, I did a six-month internship at the United Nations. It was also a real eye opener on how slow progress is made and lobbying, so I was quite disheartened after that internship. Then I worked as a journalist for a while, doing news, current affairs. I probably failed in that because I'm not a good storyteller. Words are not my medium. I was a little bit lost for a while as to what I really wanted to do. When I grew up, in primary and secondary school, art classes were all about figurative drawing and making. I admired it in other people when they can do it, but that's not my interest, and certainly I can't draw a stickperson to save my life. So, I left school thinking I'm actually not very creative or artistic because I failed in what was required. It was probably not until my mid-30s or maybe late 20s when friends said when I made something, “Oh, that's interesting.” For years I was a closet creator. I went to evening classes and all kinds of workshops, whether it's large-scale sculptures, textiles—I love ceramics—several photography workshops. It really was doing workshops that I kept going back. Nearly for 20 years before offering myself as a jeweler, friends said, “You should do something with your jewelry,” and I said, “Absolutely not.” I loved it so much. There's no way I would like to make it something professional, to have that kind of pressure. I enjoyed it far too much, but then I was invited to take part in a group show. I thought, “It's fine; I'll add a few pieces and just see.” That was quite amazing. That was in 2009. I won a prize and tons of press, and a couple of major collectors bought my pieces. I thought, “Wow, that's nice! I'll maybe do that one more time.” Soon afterwards, I got a proper, full-time studio. The rest is history, really. Sharon: I don't know if it's still in progress or you just finished up a solo exhibition at the Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery. Tell us about that. Did you feel it was fulfilling, the adulation? Ute: Elisabetta Cipriani Gallery is absolutely wonderful. We met, I think, in 2013 at Design Basel where they gave me a spotlight showcase, and we've been working together ever since. As you know—you've done an interview with Elisabetta—Elisabetta primarily represents jewelry by artists. Probably the best known is Rebecca Horn. She does collaborations with fine artists, and I was the first one that was more of an art jeweler than a fine artist making jewelry. Now she works with a few more art jewelers. Elisabetta is Italian and it's always “bella.” What a joy to work with somebody who has a really keen eye, interesting observations, does some wonderful projects, is incredibly supportive and is just a joy to be with. For that exhibition, it's been in discussion for years. I maybe procrastinated a bit because it feels like—it's the same with how I never wanted to show my jewelry. It feels like you're offering it for others to judge. For me, it's a private thing in a way; it's my way of expressing. A solo show is similar. Here is me at this time. I didn't quite like the idea, but of course it's crazy to postpone an offer of a solo show. Then I finally said to Elisabetta, “Look, I will never be ready. Let's just set a date.” So, we did, and then Covid happened, so it was delayed even more. But I created a new body of work for that show called “Creating Waves.” If you have a chance to see it on Elisabetta's or my website— Sharon: Which we'll list afterwards with show images. Ute: Yeah. I've also worked with some system of loops because, for me, jewelry is about making connections. It's making personal connections, but it's making broader connections. Coming from that political/economic background in journalism, it's connections of materiality; it's connections where the material comes from. For me, the interlinking loops—and quite a few of those loops are open, so you can change which connections you would like to make and configure the piece. That's another strand that I developed for the solo show, yeah. Sharon: I can see. We'll hopefully have a picture of it posted with the podcast. You're wearing one of your rings. Were the loops something you saw in front of you when the metal is flat? Was that something that came to you when you were playing around with it? How did that happen? Ute: For me, making is very much an exploration. I might have certain ideas when I go into the studio and sit, but I'm very fascinated by Japanese Zen philosophy. That philosophy talks a lot about emptiness as well as empty mind. We in the West see emptiness as a void of something we absolutely, quickly need to fill, as something missing, while in that philosophy, emptiness is the vast openness for potential. For me, I don't want to come to the studio with a fixed idea of what I'd like to do, because then I've already determined it as if I know. I don't need to explore anymore if I feel I know. So, I always kind of know what I'd like to do, but then I usually do something completely different. It's that almost empty mind of exploring metal, shapes. Quite often it's the sculptural form that I explore. As I said, I can't draw, so I make maquettes in garden wire or in brass and explore the shape for its sculptural form. It's quite often only later that I decide for which part of the body that sculpture form would work best. Then it's weeks of tweaking the brass maquettes. I'm quite often seen wearing the maquettes, because when you create such large sculptural forms, they really need to balance and sit well on the body. It's important that I work that out while wearing them, how they engage with the body. It's only then, when I'm happy, I make the final pieces. It's only then, once the pieces are in front of me, that there's another thought process and those pieces remind me of something, remind me of the loops, how they're interconnected, how we can change our connections, other waves. I think if you gave me a commission to make a piece about waves, I would fail. It is rather I make a piece, and then it reminds me of waves when I see them. It's kind of arresting time of that kind of movement. I'm very happy with some of the pieces that have become quite special to me. Maybe if we can add a particular armpiece for your listeners to see, it is very much a large wave, but when you put the several maquettes next to each other and you don't have any idea of scale, some people who saw the maquettes said, “Oh, that looks like a Richard Serra that you could walk into.” I think that's also why I give my pieces relatively open titles, because I don't want to pre-determine people's associations, just like I don't want to predetermine what reaction I might have to it. We all come with our own backgrounds, with our own thoughts to a piece, and it's the same. Any great artwork will elicit different reactions depending on what state of life we're in and recent experiences. I like to give pieces very open titles for the viewer and wearer to make it their own. Sharon: So, you say you're an artist-jeweler. What is the difference between that and an artist alone or a jeweler alone? What is an artist-jeweler to you? Ute: That is the eternal question, isn't it? That is the eternal question, and I still don't know how to answer that. When I'm asked what I do, if we're face-to-face it's very easy, because I usually wear one of my pieces. I hold it up and say, “This is what I do,” and then you decide what that means to you. The other times when you say you're a jeweler, very few people know about the art jewelry world, really surprisingly. So, most people think you're designing little hearts for the high street shops. I think that's why an artist-jeweler will then elicit another question where you can go deeper into it, but it's all just words. This is what I'm doing. Sharon: No, it is. It's a very difficult question to answer. I usually ask people what they consider a collector, which also is a very difficult question. When you find the answer, give me a call. You tried textiles. You tried photography. You tried sculpture. What is it about the kind of jewelry you do; why did it attract you? Why did it stand out? Ute: I guess jewelry is not called the most intimate of art forms for nothing. I love that you can disappear in your studio and quietly work. I create everything myself with my two hands. I sculpt everything myself. With large-scale sculpture, there's much more immediacy with jewelry because I can bend the shapes with my own hands. In fact, my jewelry studio has very few tools, has no nasty chemicals. It's really my hands, a few pliers, a few mallets, mandrels. I like being able to have a spark and immediately translate that into a shape. That's also why I love ceramics. I think in my next life I'll try ceramics as well, explore that. After setting up as a jeweler, I was commissioned to make some large-scale sculptures, and I thought, “That's amazing. That's what you wanted to do, of course.” But they're so large I had to work with a fabricator. It was a fantastic fabricator who had done it for very well-known artists, the YBAs, the Young British Artists, and did a fantastic job. But for me, it felt unfinished. I handed over the maquette. The fabricator did a wonderful job making a large piece, but usually when I finish a piece of jewelry, I then go and tweak it. It sits there for weeks, and I continue working on it. Here, I was handed over something finished. I don't want something finished. You can't bend it any more with your hands. So, it was surprisingly unsatisfying to make very large sculptures, but I'll do table-size sculptures where I can still be fully hands on. That is something I enjoy doing. Sharon: Do you do that now, make table-size sculptures similar to jewelry that you bend? Ute: Yeah, quite a few pieces. In fact, that is one of my favorite reactions when I show my work. People say, “Oh, this is a sculpture. I'm sure you can't wear it,” and then I put it on my hand and the person's hand, and I say, “But surely you can't wear that piece,” and it's wearable. Quite a few pieces look like they only could possibly be sculptures and there's no way to wear them. That's what I really enjoy. Many pieces have been purchased purely for the sole purpose of displaying them rather than wearing them. It's the liminal space between sculpture and wearable sculpture, and again, it's your choice.

Episode 161 Part 2: Modern Marvels: Why Collectors Are Connecting with Modernist Jewelry

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2022 26:42

What you'll learn in this episode: Why the best modernist pieces are fetching record prices at auction today How “Messengers of Modernism” helped legitimize modernist jewelry as an art form The difference between modern jewelry and modernist jewelry Who the most influential modernist jewelers were and where they drew their inspiration from Why modernist jewelry was a source of empowerment for women About Toni Greenbaum Toni Greenbaum is a New York-based art historian specializing in twentieth and twenty-first century jewelry and metalwork. She wrote Messengers of Modernism: American Studio Jewelry 1940-1960 (Montréal: Musée des Arts Décoratifs and Flammarion, 1996), Sam Kramer: Jeweler on the Edge (Stuttgart: Arnoldsche Art Publishers, 2019) and “Jewelers in Wonderland,” an essay on Sam Kramer and Karl Fritsch for Jewelry Stories: Highlights from the Collection 1947-2019 (New York: Museum of Arts and Design and Arnoldsche, 2021), along with numerous book chapters, exhibition catalogues, and essays for arts publications. Greenbaum has lectured internationally at institutions such as the Pinakothek der Moderne, Munich; Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague; Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven; Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum and Museum of Arts and Design, New York; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and Savannah College of Art and Design Museum of Art, Savannah. She has worked on exhibitions for several museums, including the Victoria and Albert in London, Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, and Bard Graduate Center Gallery, New York. Additional Resources: Link to Purchase Books Toni's Instagram The Jewelry Library Photos Available on TheJewelryJourney.com Transcript: Once misunderstood as an illegitimate art form, modernist jewelry has come into its own, now fetching five and six-figure prices at auction. Modernist jewelry likely wouldn't have come this far without the work of Toni Greenbaum, an art historian, professor and author of “Messengers of Modernism: American Studio Jewelry, 1940 to 1960.” She joined the Jewelry Journey Podcast to talk about the history of modernist jewelry; why it sets the women who wear it apart; and where collectors should start if they want to add modernist pieces to their collections. Read the episode transcript here. Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. This is a two-part Jewelry Journey Podcast. Please make sure you subscribe so you can hear part two as soon as it comes out later this week. Today my guest is art historian, professor and author Toni Greenbaum. She is the author of the iconic tome, “Messengers of Modernism: American Studio Jewelry, 1940 to 1960,” which analyzes the output of America's modernist jewelers. Most recently, she authored “Sam Kramer: Jeweler on the Edge,” a biography of the jeweler Sam Kramer. Every time I say jeweler I think I'm using the world a little loosely, but we're so glad to have you here today. Thank you so much. Toni: I am so glad to be here, Sharon. Thank you so much for inviting me. It's been many years coming. Sharon: I'm glad we connected. Tell me about your jewelry journey. It sounds very interesting. Toni: Well, there's a lot you don't know about my jewelry journey. My jewelry journey began when I was a preteen. I just became fascinated with Native American, particularly Navajo, jewelry that I would see in museum gift shops. I started to buy it when I was a teenager, what I could afford. In those days, I have to say museum gift shops were fabulous, particularly the Museum of Natural History gift shop, the Brooklyn Museum gift shop. They had a lot of ethnographic material of very high quality. So, I continued to buy Native American jewelry. My mother used to love handcrafted jewelry, and she would buy it in whatever craft shops or galleries she could find. Then eventually in my 20s and 30s, I got outpriced. Native American jewelry was becoming very, very fashionable, particularly in the late 60s, 1970s. I started to see something that looked, to me, very much like Native American jewelry, but it was signed. It had names on it, and some of them sounded kind of Mexican—in fact, they were Mexican. So, I started to buy Mexican jewelry because I could afford it. Then that became very popular when names like William Spratling and Los Castillo and Hector Aguilar became known. I saw something that looked like Mexican jewelry and Navajo jewelry, but it wasn't; it was made by Americans. In fact, it would come to be known as modernist jewelry. Then I got outpriced with that, but that's the start of my jewelry journey. Sharon: So, you liked jewelry from when you were a youth. Toni: Oh, from when I was a child. I was one of these little three, four-year-olds that was all decked out. My mother loved jewelry. I was an only child, and I was, at that time, the only grandchild. My grandparents spoiled me, and my parents spoiled me, and I loved jewelry, so I got a lot of jewelry. That and Frankie Avalon records. Sharon: Do you still collect modernist? You said you were getting outpriced. You write about it. Do you still collect it? Toni: Not really. The best of the modernist jewelry is extraordinarily expensive, and unfortunately, I want the best. If I see something when my husband and I are antiquing or at a flea market or at a show that has style and that's affordable, occasionally I'll buy it, but I would not say that I can buy the kind of jewelry I want in the modernist category any longer. I did buy several pieces in the early 1980s from Fifty/50 Gallery, when they were first putting modernist jewelry on the map in the commercial aspect. I was writing about it; they were selling it. They were always and still are. Mark McDonald still is so generous with me as far as getting images and aiding my research immeasurably. Back then, the modernist jewelry was affordable, and luckily I did buy some major pieces for a tenth of what they would get today. Sharon: Wow! When you say the best of modernist jewelry today, Calder was just astronomical. We'll put that aside. Toni: Even more astronomical: there's a Harry Bertoia necklace that somebody called my attention to that is coming up at an auction at Christie's. If they don't put that in their jewelry auctions, they'll put it in their design auctions. I think it's coming up at the end of June; I forget the exact day. The estimate on the Harry Bertoia necklace is $200,000 to $300,000—and this is a Harry Bertoia necklace. I'm just chomping at the bit to find out what it, in fact, is going to bring, but that's the estimate they put, at $200,000 to $300,000. Sharon: That's a lot of money. What holds your interest in modernist jewelry? Toni: The incredible but very subtle design aspect of it. Actually, tomorrow I'm going to be giving a talk on Art Smith for GemEx. Because my background is art history, one of the things I always do when I talk about these objects is to show how they were inspired by the modern art movements. This is, I think, what sets modernist jewelry apart from other categories of modern and contemporary jewelry. There are many inspirations, but it is that they are very much inspired by Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, Biomorphism, etc., depending on the artist. Some are influenced by all of the above, and I think I saw that. I saw it implicitly before I began to analyze it in the jewelry. This jewelry is extraordinarily well-conceived. A lot of the craftsmanship is not pristine, but I have never been one for pristine craftsmanship. I love rough surfaces, and I love the process to show in the jewelry. Much of the modernist jewelry is irreverent—I use the word irreverent instead of sloppy—as far as the process is concerned. It was that hands-on, very direct approach, in addition to this wonderful design sense, which, again, came from the modern art movements. Most of the jewelers—not all of them, but most of them—lived either in New York or in Northern or Southern California and had access to museums, and these people were aesthetes. They would go to museums. They would see Miro's work; they would see Picasso's work, and they would definitely infuse their designs with that sensibility. Sharon: Do you think that jumped out at you, the fact that they were inspired by different art movements, because you studied art history? You teach it, or you did teach it at one time? Toni: No, just history of jewelry. I majored in art history, but I've never taught art history. I've taught history of jewelry. We can argue about whether jewelry is art or not, but history of jewelry is what I've taught. Sharon: I've taken basic art history, but I couldn't tell you some of the movements you're talking about. I can't identify the different movements. Do you think it jumped out at you because you're knowledgeable? Toni: Yes, definitely, because I would look at Art Smith and I would say, “That's Biomorphism.” I would see it. It was obvious. I would look at Sam Kramer and I would say, “This is Surrealism.” He was called a surrealist jeweler back in his day, when he was practicing and when he had his shop on 8th Street. I would look at Rebajes and I would see Cubism. Of course, it was because I was well-versed in those movements, because what I was always most interested in when I was studying art history were the more modern movements. Sharon: Did you think you would segue to jewelry in general? Was that something on your radar? Toni: That's a very interesting question because when I was in college, I had a nucleus of professors who happened to have come from Cranbrook. Sharon: I'm sorry, from where? Toni: Cranbrook School of Art. Sharon: O.K., Cranbrook. Toni: I actually took a metalsmithing class as an elective, just to see what it was because I was so interested in jewelry, although I was studying what I call legitimate art history. I was so interested in jewelry that I wanted to see what the process was. I probably was the worst jeweler that ever tried to make jewelry, but I learned what it is to make. I will tell you something else, Sharon, it is what has given me such respect for the jewelers, because when you try to do it yourself and you see how challenging it is, you really respect the people who do it miraculously even more. So, I took this class just to see what it was, and the teacher—I still remember his name. His name was Cunningham; I don't remember his first name. He was from Cranbrook, and he sent the class to a retail store in New York on 53rd Street, right opposite MOMA, called America House. Sharon: Called American House? Toni: America House. America House was the retail enterprise of the American Craft Council. They had the museum, which was then called the Museum of Contemporary Crafts; now it's called MAD, Museum of Arts and Design. They had the museum, and they had a magazine, Craft Horizons, which then became American Craft, and then they had this retail store. I went into America House—and this was the late 1960s—and I knew I had found my calling. I looked at this jewelry, which was really fine studio jewelry. It was done by Ronald Pearson; it was done by Jack Kripp. These were the people that America House carried. I couldn't afford to buy it. I did buy some of the jewelry when they went out of business and had a big sale in the early 1970s. At that time I couldn't, but I looked at the jewelry and the holloware, and I had never seen anything like it. Yes, I had seen Native American that I loved, and I had seen Mexican that I loved. I hadn't yet seen modernist; that wasn't going to come until the early 1980s. But here I saw this second generation of studio jewelers, and I said, “I don't know what I'm going to do with this professionally, but I know I've got to do something with it because this is who I am. This is what I love.” Back in the late 1960s, it was called applied arts. Anything that was not painting and sculpture was applied art. Ceramics was applied art; furniture was applied art; textiles, jewelry, any kind of metalwork was applied art. Nobody took it seriously as an academic discipline in America, here in this country. Then I went on to graduate school, still in art history. I was specializing in what was then contemporary art, particularly color field painting, but I just loved what was called the crafts, particularly the metalwork. I started to go to the library and research books on jewelry. I found books on jewelry, but they were all published in Europe, mostly England. There were things in other languages other than French, which I could read with a dictionary. There were books on jewelry history, but they were not written in America; everything was in Europe. So, I started to read voraciously about the history of jewelry, mostly the books that came out of the Victoria & Albert Museum. I read all about ancient jewelry and medieval jewelry and Renaissance jewelry. Graham Hughes, who was then the director of the V&A, had written a book, “Modern Jewelry,” and it had jewelry by artists, designed by Picasso and Max Ernst and Brach, including things that were handmade in England and all over Europe. I think even some of the early jewelers in our discipline were in that book. If I remember correctly, I think Friedrich Becker, for example, might have been in Graham Hughes' “Modern Jewelry,” because that was published, I believe, in the late 1960s. So, I saw there was a literature in studio jewelry; it just wasn't in America. Then I found a book on William Spratling, this Mexican jeweler whose work I had collected. It was not a book about his jewelry; it was an autobiography about himself that obviously he had written, but it was so rich in talking about the metalsmithing community in Taxco, Mexico, which is where he, as an American, went to study the colonial architecture. He wound up staying and renovating the silver mines that had been dormant since the 18th century. It was such a great story, and I said, “There's something here,” but no graduate advisor at that time, in the early 70s, was going to support you in wanting to do a thesis on applied art, no matter what the medium. But in the back of my mind, I always said, “I'm going to do something with this at some point.” Honestly, Sharon, I never thought I would live to see the day that this discipline is as rich as it is, with so much literature, with our publishers publishing all of these fantastic jewelry books, and other publishers, like Flammarion in Paris, which published “Messengers of Modernism.” Then there's the interest in Montreal at the Museum of Fine Arts, which is the museum that has the “Messengers of Modernism” collection. It has filtered into the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Dallas, obviously MAD. So many museums are welcoming. I never thought I would live to see the day. It really is so heartening. I don't have words to express how important this is, but I just started to do it. In the early 1970s or mid-1970s—I don't think my daughter was born yet. My son was a toddler. I would sit in my free moments and write an article about William Spratling, because he was American. He went to Mexico, but he was American. He was the only American I knew of that I could write about. Not that that article was published at that time, but I was doing the research and I was writing it. Sharon: That's interesting. If there had been a discipline of jewelry history or something in the applied arts, if an advisor had said, “Yes, I'll support you,” or “Why don't you go ahead and get your doctorate or your master's,” that's something you would have done? Toni: Totally, without even a thought, yes. Because when I was studying art history, I would look at Hans Holbein's paintings of Henry VIII and Sir Thomas More, and all I would do was look at the jewelry they were wearing, the chains and the badges on their berets. I said, “Oh my god, that is so spectacular.” Then I learned that Holbein actually designed the jewelry, which a lot of people don't know. I said, “There is something to this.” I would look at 18th century paintings with women, with their pearls and rings and bracelets, and all I would do was look at the jewelry. I would have in a heartbeat. If I could have had a graduate advisor, I would have definitely pursued that. Sharon: When you say you never thought you'd live to see the day when modernist jewelry is so popular—not that it's so surprising, but you are one of the leaders of the movement. When I mentioned to somebody, “Oh, I like modernist jewelry,” the first thing they said was, “Well, have you read ‘Messengers of Modernism?'” As soon as I came home—I was on a trip—I got it. So, you are one of the leaders. Toni: Well, it is interesting. It is sort of the standard text, but people will say, “Well, why isn't Claire Falkenstein in the book? She's so important,” and I say, “It's looked upon as a standard text, but the fact is it's a catalogue to an exhibition. That was the collection.” Fifty/50 Gallery had a private collection. As I said before, they were at the forefront of promoting and selling modernist jewelry, but they did have a private collection. That collection went to Montreal in the 1990s because at that time, there wasn't an American museum that was interested in taking that collection. That book is the catalogue of that finite collection. So, there are people who are major modernist jewelers—Claire Falkenstein is one that comes to mind—that are not in that collection, so they're not in the book. There's a lot more to be said and written about that movement. Sharon: I'm sure you've been asked this a million times: What's the difference between modern and modernist jewelry? Toni: Modern is something that's up to date at a point in time, but modernist jewelry is—this is a word we adopted. The word existed, but we adopted it to define the mid-20th century studio jewelry, the post-war jewelry. It really goes from 1940 to the 1960s. That's it; that's the time limit of modernist jewelry. Again, it's a word we appropriated. We took that word and said, “We're going to call this category modernist jewelry because we have to call it something, so that's the term.” Modern means up to date. That's just a general word. Sharon: When you go to a show and see things that are in the modernist style, it's not truly modernist if it was done today, it wasn't done before 1960. Toni: Right, no. Modernist jewelry is work that's done in that particular timeframe and that also subscribes to what I was saying, this appropriation of motifs from the modern art movement. There was plenty of costume jewelry and fine jewelry being done post-war, and that is jewelry that is mid-20th century. You can call it mid-20th century modern, which confuses the issue even more, but it's not modernist jewelry. Modernist jewelry is jewelry that was done in the studio by a silversmith and was inspired by the great movements in modern art and some other inspirations. Art Smith was extremely motivated by African motifs, but also by Calder and by Biomorphism. It's not religious. There are certainly gray areas, but in general, that's modernist jewelry. Sharon: I feel envious when you talk about everything that was going in on New York. I have a passion, but there's no place on the West Coast that I would go to look at some of this stuff. Toni: I'll tell you one of the ironies, Sharon. Post-war, definitely through the 1950s and early 1960s, there must have been 13 to 15 studio shops by modernist jewelers. You had Sam Kramer on 8th Street and Art Smith on 4th Street and Polo Bell, who was on 4th Street and then he was on 8th Street, and Bill Tendler, and you had Jules Brenner, and Henry Steig was Uptown. Ed Wiener was all over the place. There were so many jewelers in New York, and I never knew about them. I never went to any of their shops. I used to hang out in the Village when I was a young teenager, walked on 4th Street; never saw Art Smith's shop. He was there from 1949 until 1977. I used to walk on 8th Street, and Sam Kramer was on the second floor. I never looked up, and I didn't know this kind of jewelry existed. In those days, like I said, I was still collecting Navajo.

america american new york art europe england mexico americans french design arts modern african connecting academy mexican southern california museum montreal native americans honestly west coast village renaissance collection architecture northern munich fine arts fifty mad wonderland prague gallery cunningham picasso jewelry moderne mus messengers new haven calder navajo natural history miro collectors moma uptown henry viii modernism ceramics jewelers surrealism modernist flammarion savannah college brooklyn museum brach design museum greenbaum cubism cranbrook abstract expressionism frankie avalon max ernst arts d mark mcdonald art smith taxco hans holbein holbein sir thomas more houston museum american craft yale university art gallery victoria albert museum modern marvels pinakothek cooper hewitt smithsonian design museum new york museum american craft council additional resources link transcript once

Emma.

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 69:57

Today we're going back to the Regency with 2020's Emma.! Join us as we learn about pinkie rings, marriage customs, Roma stereotypes, and more! Sources: Church of England, "Marriage" https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/marriage The Book of Common Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, According to the Use of the United Church of England and Ireland... (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1840) https://google.com/books/edition/The_Book_of_Common_Prayer/ba89AAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 Richard Crider, "Emma's Anglican Wedding," Christianity and Literature 28, no. 2 (1979): 34-39. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44310592 Rebecca Probert, "Control over Marriage in England and Wales, 1753-1823: The Clandestine Marriages Act of 1753 in Context," Law and History Review 27, no.2 (2009): 413-450. https://www.jstor.org/stable/40646019 Wendy Kennett, "The Place of Worship in Solemnization of a Marriage," Journal of Law and Religion 30, no.2 (2015): 260-294. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24739206 https://ew.com/awards/oscars/emma-costumes-alexandra-byrne/ Victoria & Albert Museum, examples of early 1800s wedding fashion: 1820s dress https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O63393/wedding-dress-unknown/ 1820 veil https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O359432/wedding-veil-unknown/ 1807 dress https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1261897/wedding-dress-unknown/ 1818 fashion plate https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O711008/bridal-dress-fashion-plate-unknown/ """Harriet Innes-Ker (née Charlewood), Duchess of Roxburghe ('London Fashions for September 1806, taken Authentically from the full & half dresses of the Dutches of Roxborough as worn by her Grace on her Marriage in August last')"" published by John Bell, published in La Belle Assemblée or Bell's Court and Fashionable Magazine etching and line engraving, published 1806 7 1/4 in. x 5 1/4 in. (185 mm x 134 mm) paper size; acquired unknown source, 1930; Reference Collection NPG D47501 https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw279713/Harriet-Innes-Ker-ne-Charlewood-Duchess-of-Roxburghe-London-Fashions-for-September-1806-taken-Authentically-from-the-full--half-dresses-of-the-Dutches-of-Roxborough-as-worn-by-her-Grace-on-her-Marriage-in-August-last?LinkID=mp160026&role=art&rNo=7 " David Cressy, "Trouble with Gypsies in Early Modern England," The Historical Journal 59, no.1 (2016): 45-70. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24809837 Yaron Matras, "The Historical Position of British Romani," in Romani in Britain: The Afterlife of a Language, 57-94 (Edinburgh University Press, 2010). https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.3366/j.ctt1r23jh.8 Colin Clark, "'Severity has often enraged but never subdued a gipsy': The History and Making of European Romani Stereotypes," in Role of the Romanies: Images and Counter Images of 'Gypsies'/Romanies in European Cultures eds. Nicholas Saul and Susan Tebbutt, 226-246 (Liverpool University Press, 2004) https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt5vjjv0.19 Slate Interview with Autumn De Wilde: https://slate.com/culture/2020/03/emma-movie-autumn-de-wilde-interview-jane-austen-beck.html Emma, Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/emma_2020 Emma, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_(2020_film) Ellie Harrison, "Queen's Gambit Star Reveals That She Can Make Her Nose Bleed on Cue," The Independent: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/anya-taylor-joy-emma-queens-gambit-b1767215.html Portrait of Richard Cumberland, 1776, National Portrait Gallery. Available at https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw01669/Richard-Cumberland National Portrait Gallery, Search Results for Years 1775-1825: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait-list.php?search=ap&firstRun=true&title=&npgno=&eDate=1775&lDate=1825&medium=&subj=&set=&portraitplace=&searchCatalogue=&submitSearchTerm=Search Leena Kim, "The History of the Pinkie Ring," Town and Country, available at https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/mens-fashion/a37937872/pinky-rings-meaning/ Alice Drum, "Pride and Prestige: Jane Austen and the Professions," College Literature 36, 3 (2009)

180 - Pradip Malde

england tennessee south museum photography haiti edinburgh scotland indians tanzania concerned east africa art institute sewanee arusha victoria albert museum fgm c

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2022 76:31 Very Popular

Pradip Malde is a photographer and a professor at the University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, where he is the co-director of the Haiti Institute. Much of his work considers the experience of loss and how it serves as a catalyst for regeneration. He is currently working in rural communities in Haiti, Tanzania and Tennessee, designing models for community development through photography.Pradip's works are held in the collections of the Museum of the Art Institute, Chicago; Princeton University Museum; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, Yale University Museum and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh, among others. He is a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow.Pradip was born in Arusha, Tanzania in 1957. His parents were the children of Indians who emigrated to East Africa but had to flee from the turmoil that spread through that region in the 1970s. Concerned about loss and belonging since then, he has come to think of artifacts as membranes, where what may be explicit and immutable begins to lead us into the realms of memory and meaning, and, ultimately, an understanding of the experiences of others.Pradip's first monograph, entitiled From Where Loss Comes, was recently published by Charcoal Press. It is an unblinking look at how sacrifice and belonging are deeply rooted in the human experience, examining the story of the root causes of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C). On episode 180, Pradip discusses, among other things:ResilienceHow boarding school in England changed his lifeScotlandSawanee and teachingHow loss serves as a catalyst for regenerationFrom Where Loss Comes and why it's important for him that the book is not just about FGM/CHaitiHis love of platinum and other arcane printing processesGoing digital Website | Instagram

Technology and Creative Education with Rob Duarte

Certified: Certiport Educator Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2022 40:54

Technology is pervasive in every aspect of life, including art and creative education. Artist and educator, Rob Duarte, has seen the impact of technology on creators firsthand. Rob is an Associate Profession in the Department of Art at Florida State University, teaching courses in sculpture, digital fabrication, physical computing, and mechatronic art. He also serves as Co-Director of the FSU Facility for Arts Research and Director of the REBOOT laboratory. He earned an MFA in Visual Arts from the University of California San Diego, a BFA in Sculpture from the Massachusetts College of Art & Design, and BS in Business Information Systems with a minor in Computer & Information Science from the University of Massachusetts. At UCSD, Rob was an Ujima Scholar and a San Diego Fellow. Rob's work has been exhibited in venues as diverse as the Venice Biennale of Architecture, the Smithsonian Museum of American History, the Victoria & Albert Museum, the New Children's Museum, and the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. He has also been invited to exhibit his work as part of the Florida Art Prize in Contemporary Art, the San Diego Art Prize, and the southXeast Triennial. In this special episode, we got Rob's opinion on the impact of technology on today's creators. He also discussed how to bridge that gap between artists and engineers, and how he takes things back to basics in his classroom with mediums like cardboard and scissors. And finally, find out how he helps students become technology creators, not just consumers. You can learn more about Rob here: https://robduarte.com/. Check out what's happening at FSU at https://artsresearch.fsu.edu/ and https://art.fsu.edu/.

The Green Knight

Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2022 69:19

This week we're going back to the Middle Ages with David Lowery's The Green Knight! Join us as we talk about St. Winfred's head, sumptuary laws, camera obscura, horrifying puppets, and more! Sources: The Life of St. Winifred, Golden Legend Volume VI, available at https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/basis/goldenlegend/GoldenLegend-Volume6.asp#Winifred "Camera Obscura," History of Science Museum, available at https://www.hsm.ox.ac.uk/camera-obscura "When Was the Camera Invented? Everything You Need to Know." NFI, available at https://www.nfi.edu/when-was-the-camera-invented/#:~:text=While%20historians%20generally%20accept%20that,one%20he%20made%20around%201826. Brian Tallerico, "The Green Knight," RogerEbert.com (July 30, 2021) https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-green-knight-movie-review-2021 Mark Kermode, "The Green Knight review - a rich and wild fantasy," The Guardian (26 September 2021), https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/26/the-green-knight-review-david-lowery-dev-patel-gawain Alissa Wilkinson, "The Green Knight is glorious and a little baffling. Let's untangle it." Vox (30 July 2021) https://www.vox.com/22585318/green-knight-explained-ending-spoilers-girdle-winifred-temptation Richard Brody, ""The Green Knight," Reviewed: David Lowery's Boldly Modern Revision of a Medieval Legend," The New Yorker (August 3, 2021), https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/the-green-knight-reviewed-david-lowerys-boldly-modern-revision-of-a-medieval-legend CinemaBlend, "Dev Patel & Joel Edgerton | 'The Green Knight' Interview" (July 27, 2021), https://youtu.be/VSW1ZBd2ARY Anatomy of a Scene, "Take a Journey with Dev Patel in 'The Green Knight'" (July 30, 2021) https://youtu.be/Hc_SJ7dZQc4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Green_Knight_(film) Romance of Lancelot du Lac Bodleian Library MS. Raw. Q. b. 6, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/cee84920-8cef-42f4-afa3-7fcd97ea55f1/ "Fashion Rules: a 14th century Knight's livery," St. John's College, University of Cambridge https://www.joh.cam.ac.uk/mens-fashion#:~:text=English%20Sumptuary%20Laws%20were%20imposed,%2C%20furniture%2C%20jewellery%20and%20clothing. "Sumptuous Origins," What (Not) to Wear: Fashion and the Law, Harvard Law School Historical & Special Collections' exhibits, https://exhibits.law.harvard.edu/purple-silk-and-cloth-gold W. Mark Ormrod, "Landed Society, Conspicuous Consumption and the Political Economy: The Sumptuary Laws of 1363," in Winner and Waster and its Contexts: Chivalry, Law and Economics in Fourteenth-Century England (Boydell & Brewer, 2021), 74-82, https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1grbbh2.9 Louise M. Sylvester, Mark C. Chambers, and Gale R. Owen-Crocker, Medieval Dress and Textiles in Britain: A Multilingual Sourcebook (Boydell & Brewer, 2014), https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7722/j.ctt7zstfh.16 and https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7722/j.ctt7zstfh.14 David Carpenter, The Struggle for Mastery: The Penguin History of Britain 1066-1284 (London: Penguin, 2004). Nicholas Orme, "The Culture of Children in Medieval England," Past & Present 148 (1995): 48-88. https://www.jstor.org/stable/651048 Frances K. Barasch, "Shakespeare and the Puppet Sphere," English Literary Renaissance 34:2 (2004): 157-175. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24463671 Victoria & Albert Museum, "A history of puppets in Britain," https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/a-history-of-puppets-in-britain#slideshow=21816336&slide=0

Timothy Laurin: Printmaker - The Ritual of Preparing

The Unfinished Print

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2022 49:17

Established artists have found mokuhanga to be an asset to their practice. It is a medium which can be very different to what an artist may currently be focused on. It builds patience, and helps creativity. Timothy Laurin is an established artist, who has worked in several artistic mediums, such as letterpress, screen printing, glass, intaglio, and mixed media. Tim discovered mokuhanga a few years ago and has decided to pursue the art form. On this episode of The Unfinished Print I speak with artist Timothy Laurin about his discovery of mokuhanga, the rituals of process, memory and contemporary society. We also speak on the matrix of mokuhanga, gallery relationships, and how ones own environment can affect what an artist produces. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own print work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints Twitter @unfinishedprint, or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com Notes: may contain a hyperlink. Simply click on the highlighted word or phrase. Tim Laurin - Print Collective, Octopus Studio Press, Instagram , Twitter Georgian Bay - is a large bay off of Lake Huron in Southern, Ontario, Canada. It is known for cottages, fishing, hunting, and beautiful sunsets. It is a part of the Canadian Shield, and was painted by such artists as Tom Thompson (1877-1917). It is about two hours drive from Toronto. Barrie, Ontario - is a city with a population of 145,000. It was originally populated by the Anishinaabeg People and the Wendant. It was then populated by white settlers in 1828. intaglio printmaking - is a style of printmaking, the opposite of relief printmaking, where scratches made with a burin are made on the plate (copper, zinc, aluminum) and then dipped in acid. Then ink and pigment is rubbed on with a brayer, brushes, etc. More info can be found, here. washi - is a type of naturally fibrous Japanese paper made for many different types of artistic pursuits. Mokuhanga printmakers use washi, sized and unsized, to produce their woodblock prints. More info from the Japanese Paper Place, can be found, here. birch plywood - is a hardwood used in various ways, such as furniture building, homes, and woodblock. There are white birch, black birch, and white birch. It can be purchased, as well as other woods, in thin veneer and pasted onto regular plywood, or purchased as birch plywood in many hardware stores. John Milton Cage Jr. - (1912-1922) was a composer and music theorist who was influenced by Zen Buddhism and Indian philosophy. One of his beliefs was to "free the creative gesture from all intentional subjectivity." Life is chance. More info can be found, here. representational art - is art which identifies something which exists in real life. Métis - is in reference to a group of Indigenous peoples from Canada. Recognized in 1982 by the Constitutional Act of Canada. Emerging in the Northwest of Canada during the late 18th century, they are the offspring of Indigenous women and European fur traders. The homeland of the Métis is considered as, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and parts of the Northern United States. More info can be found, here. kitakata - is a specific type of washi made of Philippine gampi, and sulphite pulp. For bookbinding, and mokuhanga and other types of printmaking. More info, here. William Morris - (1834-1896) was a textile maker, poet and artist. He produced over fifty patterns of wallpaper based on the movement of nature. More info from the Victoria & Albert Museum, here. Arts and Crafts Movement - was an artistic movement as a opposition to the industrial world. the movement originally began in mid-19th Century Britain, moving across Europe and the Atlantic to the America's. More info can be found, here. Sheridan College - is a college located on three campuses, Brampton, Mississauga, and Oakville in Ontario. It is a practical college with various programs such as business, special effects, television, film, etc. More info can be found, here. The Japanese Paper Place - is a Japanese paper brick and mortar store located in West Toronto. The Unfinished Print interview with owner Nancy Jacobi, can be found, here. The JPP's website can be found, here. Early Canadian History - is fraught with colonialism and displacement. There is not enough space to speak on the subject but more information can be found, here through the lens of Indigenous history. Ojibwe - historically from the Great Lakes Region of Canada and the United States, the Ojibwe fished, and hunted as well as harvested wild rice and participated in the fur trade. More info can be found, here. The Group of Seven - were a group of landscape painters from Canada. The artists were, Franklin Carmichael (1890–1945), Lawren Harris (1885–1970), A.Y. Jackson 1882–1974), Frank Johnston (1888–1949), Arthur Lismer (1885–1969), J.E.H MacDonald (1873–1932), and Frederick Varley (1881–1969). Later, A.J. Casson (1898–1992) was invited to join in 1926, Edwin Holdgate (1892–1977) became a member in 1930, and LeMoine FitzGerald (1890–1956) joined in 1932. While Tom Thomspon (1877–1917), and Emily Carr (1871–1945) were not "official" members it is generally accepted that they were a part of the group without being "officially" a part of the group because of the group relationship with the artists. More info can be found, here. The Canadian Shield - is exposed rock located throughout North America, Mexico and Greenland. Robert Motherwell - (1915-1991) was an artist who worked in printmaking and painting. He was a contemporary of Jackson Pollock (1912-1956), and Willen de Kooning (1904-1997). More info can be found, here. Flextools - is a tool brand founded in 1986. The tools are for woodworking, woodcut, and other wood related carving. More information can be found, here. Daniel Smith Pigments - is a company which makes various types of paints, pigments, and mediums. It was started by Dan Smith in 1976. More info can be found, here. Winsor & Newton - is a British artist supply company, started in 1832, which sells artist materials such as pigments, brushes, paper, etc. More info can be found, here. Holbein - is a pigment company based in Japan, Canada, and the United States. Their pigments are lush and strong. More info, here. Please follow The Unfinished Print and my own print work on Instagram @andrezadoroznyprints Twitter @unfinishedprint, or email me at theunfinishedprint@gmail.com opening and closing credit music - We Three by Cory Weeds, from the album Just Coolin' (2022) © Cellar Live © Popular Wheat Productions logo designed and produced by Douglas Batchelor and André Zadorozny Disclaimer: Please do not reproduce or use anything from this podcast without shooting me an email and getting my express written or verbal consent. I'm friendly :) Слава Україну If you find any issue with something in the show notes please let me know. ***The opinions expressed by guests in The Unfinished Print podcast are not necessarily those of André Zadorozny and of Popular Wheat Productions.***

174 - Jem Southam

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2022 87:17

Born in Bristol in 1950, Jem Southam is one of the UK's most renowned landscape photographers, working predominately in the South West of England where he lives. Jem's richly detailed works document subtle changes and transitions within the landscape, allowing him to explore cycles of life and death, decay and renewal, through spring and winter, and also to reveal the subtlest of human interventions in the natural landscape. His work is characterised by its balance of poetry and lyricism within a documentary practice and combines topographical observation with other references: personal, cultural, political, scientific, literary and psychological. Jem's working method combines the predetermined and the intuitive. Seen together, his series suggest the forging of pathways towards visual and intellectual resolution.Jem has had solo exhibitions at The Photographers Gallery, London, Tate St Ives, Cornwall and The Victoria & Albert Museum, London and his work is held in many important collections, both in the UK and internationally.Until his retirement from teaching three years ago, Jem was Professor of Photography at the University of Plymouth and he is represented by the Huxley Parlour Gallery in London. On episode 174, Jem discusses, among other things:His student experience.Changes to the photographic culture.The importance of negative film.The gallery he ran in Bristol with friend Adrian Lovelace.Myths and stories.Bodies of water and Winter.What is a river?The influence of land art.The Pond at Upton Pyne.His switch to digital and how a broken elbow contributed to it. Referenced:Martin ParrPaul StrandBill BrandtPaul GrahamTony Ray JonesThe BechersRobert AdamsSusan ButlerAdrian LovelaceBruegelRichard HamlynBarbara BosworthJosef SudekSigma DP2 Instagram“I made a still life picture of an apple when I was a student, with a plate camera. I still remember now that I stood back took the cloth off the top of my head and I said ‘this is what I want to be doing for the rest of my life'... This apple stood in for the colour of the English landscape. It was a sort of metaphorical kind of emblem.”— Jem Southam

university english uk interview england professor myths photography bodies southwest pond cornwall plymouth jem ben smith southam victoria albert museum tate st ives photographers gallery

Episode 147 Part 2: Understanding Jewelry in the 21st Century: How a Classic Jewelry Book Continues to Shape the Field

arts cambridge duchess connolly royal academy flower power victoria albert museum

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2022 26:35

What you'll learn in this episode: Why even the most skilled jewelry experts should be open to learning new things Which jewels stand out the most out of the thousands of pieces Daniela has seen over her 40-year career How Daniela and her co-author David Bennett have updated their seminal book, “Understanding Jewelry,” for the 21st century Why the public has started to appreciate jewelry for its artistic value rather than just its intrinsic value Why a strong jewelry collection doesn't have to include hundreds of pieces About Daniela Mascetti Daniela Mascetti is one of the jewelry world's most experienced scholars specializing in the history of jewelry. Daniela joined Sotheby's in 1980, and soon after opened the firm's Jewelry department in Milan. After a distinguished career of 40 years at Sotheby's, she was appointed Chairman Jewelry, Europe, a position she retained until 2020. As one of the most renowned and experienced of scholars specializing in the history of jewelry, highlights from Daniela's distinguished career include research for the sales of historic collections such as the Jewels of the Duchess of Windsor (1987) and The Princely Collections of Thurn und Taxis (1992), Elton John, Maria Callas and Gina Lollobrigida. Most recently she was responsible for the academic research for the record-breaking sale of Royal Jewels from the Bourbon-Parma Family which included treasures from Queen Marie Antoinette. Daniela also provided research for the auction Castellani & Giuliano: The Judith H. Siegel Collection held in New York, a landmark event which reinvigorated the interest in and demand for revivalist jewels. Daniela regularly lectures on jewelry and was responsible for Sotheby's Institute of Art Jewelry Courses. She is co-author with David Bennett of the best-selling reference book Understanding Jewelry and Celebrating Jewelry, published in 2012. She has also co-written The Necklace from Antiquity to the Present, Earrings from Antiquity to the Present and a Bulgari monograph with Amanda Triossi. In 2021, Daniela and David launched a unique website showcasing their unparalleled experience and knowledge in the field of jewelry. Daniela Mascetti grew up between Lake Maggiore, Lake Varese and Lake Como and graduated in Archaeology from the University of Milan, where she developed the analytical skills required for the dating, researching and valuing of historical jewels. Additional Resources: Website: https://www.understanding-jewellery.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/understandingjewellery/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UnderstandingJewellery Twitter: https://twitter.com/UJewellery_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/19192787 Transcript: Sharon: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Jewelry Journey Podcast. Here at the Jewelry Journey, we're about all things jewelry. With that in mind, I wanted to let you know about an upcoming jewelry conference, which is “Beyond Boundaries: Jewelry of the Americas.” It's sponsored by the Association of the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts or, as it's otherwise known, ASJRA. The conference takes place virtually on Saturday and Sunday, May 21 and May 22, which is around the corner. For details on the program and the speakers, go to www.jewelryconference.com. Non-members are welcome. I have to say that I've attended this conference for several years, and it's one of my favorite conferences. It's a real treat to be able to sit in your pajamas or in comfies in your living room and listen to some extraordinary speakers. So, check it out. Register at www.jewelryconference.com. See you there. This is the second part of a two-part episode. Today, my guest is Daniela Mascetti, a well-known name in the high-end world of jewelry and auctions. She spent four decades at Sotheby's and holds the position of Senior Specialist Worldwide. She's co-author with David Bennett of the bible for jewelry professionals, “Understanding Jewelry.” If you haven't heard part one, please go to TheJewelryJourney.com. Welcome back. Flipping through the book—I tend to look at books starting from the back forward. There was a comment about jewelry being seen as art as well as jewelry more recently. I wish I'd written down the comment, but it intrigued me because it was a comment about art jewelry. I tend to think of that as something with no gems, but more with plastic or wood or whatever. Daniela: What I think we wanted to say is that when we started in the jewelry field—I started in 1980, David in 1974 or 1975, I think—jewels were just seen as extremely valuable items. They were available to display gems. I remember vividly, in the early 1980s, beautiful Art Déco cloche brooches set with diamonds being bought by members of the trade that used to deal in diamonds. These beautiful Art Déco pieces were going to be dismantled just for their intrinsic content. That was 1985, 1986, 1989. Then gradually the general public started to look at jewels as a form of art. As you buy a painting, as you buy a sculpture, as you buy a lovely piece of ceramic, the public started to look at buying jewels for their artistic value rather than just for the intrinsic value. When I started, the composition of the showroom at Sotheby's—if I was a Christie's, I would have had exactly the same situation—was entirely made up of members of the trade. Perhaps one private buyer, two at most. Nowadays—or at least for a moment when I stopped working back in 2019—it was a 50/50 split, so a great amount of private people buying for the pleasure of acquiring an item that was unique for its sole artistic value. Sharon: What do you think changed that people started seeing it as an artistic item? Daniela: One thing that contributed was “Understanding Jewelry,” the bible as you say, which brought the history of jewelry design to a large public. They started to read the story, the history behind each piece of jewelry, and then a plethora of books started to be written on the subject of jewels. I remember when I started, there were probably 10 books dedicated to the history of jewelry design—forget about gemology and all that. Now, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of books on the subject. All these have contributed to persuade or open the public to the concept of jewels as a collectable field. Of course, there is a very strong connection between the artistic weight and the intrinsic weight. It's always a combination of the two, but it is interesting to see how the public has started to appreciate jewels for their artistic value independently from the intrinsic value. There will always be the clients who go for the 16 carats, the flawless diamond as a status symbol, as a showoff, but more and more, the public is opening up to smaller items that can tell a story. Sharon: Tell us about the business of UnderstandingJewelry.com, because there's so much. I know you're just starting out, but it's so much. Daniela: It just started up. If you've read the book, “Understanding Jewelry,” the book keeps on growing. I thought we could have subscriptions so you can subscribe and get the book continuously bringing information to you, but then we thought, once we started a website, why don't we try to do more with it? Apart from the academic part of the website that is dedicated the book, we have several other offers. We have courses online done through Zoom. Call them courses, call them seminars. They are groups of lectures on different subjects. For the time being, we've done one on Art Déco that I think was well-received. We are planning many more, but we're also concentrating on proper seminars on the field. The first will be in France, starting in Burgundy and ending up in Paris. It will be a combination of lectures and experiences. It will be lectures on jewels, experiences in Burgundy. There will be culinary experiences in restaurants and wine tastings, visiting wonderful chateaux, visiting historic places such as the Cluny Abbey. Then in Paris, we'll be visiting museums and some of the grand maisons of jewelry: Cartier, Boucheron, Chaumet, Melediaux. That is on the academic side. We also offer valuation and advisory services. Many of the clients from Sotheby's came back to us for advice to keep augmenting their collections or slim down the collection. What else do we do? We are just about to launch what will be called Hidden Gems, a part of the website where we present jewels we have found in locations such as London, Geneva and New York to start with, and that perhaps the public at large would not find because they are not sitting in the windows of jewelers of the mainstream. They are little gems in the sense of jewelry, hidden treasurers in the sense that they are the perfect example of the kind of jewelry that's hard to find. It could be a perfect Art Déco double-clip brooch. It could be the perfect 19th century pendant sitting with a member of the trade that does not have a shop front. It will always be something we choose ourselves. We will not be persuaded to put something on our website if we do not believe it is worth being on the website. What I can say is that David and I are completely independent. We put together the website entirely by ourselves. We have no financial backing. So, we are in a very privileged position and we have the final say. Sharon: That's nice to hear. It's a very nice website. I presumed that Sotheby's had given you some backing. I think it's a beautiful website. I'm sorry; go ahead. Daniela: We will agree to endorse the best jewelry, and we can do it now in our position. We've clocked together about 95 years of experience in the jewelry field. We are not backed by anybody, so we can really say, “We think this is good.” Of course, it would be personal, and we can't really stop that. Sharon: The Hidden Gems that you post, will they be for sale? Daniela: They will be for sale, yes. Our function would be to put together the seller and the potential buyer, and then the bill will be done between the two of them. We will not be interfering with the estimate, the valuation, whatever. Of course, if we are asked, “Do you think this jewel is really worth the money?” within reasonable figures, we would say yes. If we do realize the wrong figure is being asked for that type of jewel, then that type of jewel will not be on our website anyway, because we will not set the price. The price will not be on our website, but we will know more or less what the asking figure is and whether we think it is reasonable. The end of the story is if you want something that is a very special example of something, you have to be prepared to pay the right amount of money. Sharon: You mentioned something before; I'm always intrigued by the word collection and what a collector is, and the fact that people come to you and you advise them on building their collections. How do you advise on a collection? Do people come and say, “I have these three pieces. I have a ruby, an emerald and a sapphire ring. What do I need now?” Daniela: It's very much a matter of listening to your client because they're all different. The beauty is that all the collections are different. There are no two collections that are exactly the same, because each collection is the reflection of the person who puts it together. Even more so if the collector is a woman because she would have been wearing those jewels. If the collection is really there, our function is to say, “Yes, perhaps you could sell that item that is not such a great example and buy something better in that field.” Maybe the collection is almost complete, and we can say, “Look, these are the little gaps we would fill if we were in your position.” Sometimes collections are always growing. We have collectors that want to slim down the collection to always keep it at its peak, and we have collectors that want to leave their collection as it is because it shows all the steps from the very beginning and the mistakes to give a better example later on. Again, there is no rule. You have to listen, figure out what the client is aiming at and then try to do your best and give the best advice. Sharon: If somebody comes to you to advise them on their collection and there are gaps, do you help them source? Daniela: Yes, we would try to help them source. We are in very good relationships with, I would say, every member of the trade, having been a dealer with them for so many years through the auction world. We are in good relationships with the auction houses, having had a fantastic career with them. So, we would know where to go to source the item. Of course, it would perhaps be easier to source something contemporary because we would know where to go. It would be harder to source for somebody who says, “Well, I'm looking for an Art Nouveau brooch in the design of a teacup, but I don't want Lalique. I'm aiming for something different.” That would be a bit more challenging, but perhaps that's where we find them something even more exciting. Sharon: Do you only work with very wealthy people? The kinds of jewels you're mentioning are not the kind of jewels I'm going to be buying. Do you work with people at different levels? Daniela: The idea is that we're open to all levels. What we're really looking to do is be approachable. Of course, I can't give advice on gathering a collection of tiny little silver rings because that wouldn't be economically viable, but we are not talking about millions. On our website, on Hidden Gems, there will be jewels valued at $8,000, $9,000, $10,000, so we're not looking only at the top end. We're looking at the top end of quality; that for sure we are aiming at. Sharon: This is the question that doesn't have an answer, but I'm always interested in different opinions. What is a collection to you? If you're saying somebody has a collection, does that mean four pieces that tell a story, or is it just 20 pieces? What's a collection? Daniela: That is a very good question and a very difficult one to answer, because everybody has a different idea of a collection. I think I hinted at this subject. To somebody, even to me, a perfect collection of gemstones could include a fantastic Burmese ruby, a Colombian Muzo emerald, a superb Kashmir sapphire. I would like to have a Burma sapphire and a Ceylon sapphire of the best quality, and then why not a diamond. Perhaps if they want to go into colored diamonds, we would have to stretch the prices, but a collection could be made of 10 beautiful gemstones. It doesn't need to be hundreds of items. We sold a few collections at auction that were made up of 20 items. It could be five good ruby sapphires, a diamond and a beautiful pearl, and you have a perfect collection of the most appreciated gems. Then you can have collections of different periods. I've had a chance to handle beautiful period collections. There are even more collections focused on Lalique, and then collections such as the Bourbon-Parma than spans 250 years of production. Sharon: Don't forget the tiny silver rings. I was going to say don't forget the collection of tiny silver rings, too. Daniela: Absolutely. Sharon: I have a million more questions. I don't want to keep you here all day, but let me ask you, when in your career did you decide to become a gemologist? I don't know what organizations you belong to. Daniela: That was not a decision of mine. It was imposed by Sotheby's. By the time I started, gemology had become an essential part of our business. I remember all my mentors at Sotheby's, all my bosses, and none of them had a gemological degree. But the next generation, David and I, we had to do gemology. I remember one day at Sotheby's in Milan, I was told, “Daniela, you have to complete a gemology degree,” which I must admit I did not enjoy at all because at school, I was really bad at sciences, physics and mathematics. Studying gemology for me has been a toil. It has been hard to go through and get my certificate, but it was a necessity. If you look at jewels, you have to be able to say, “Yes, I know what to do. I brought my loupe, and this is what I'm looking for.” Sharon: You were in the auction business for 40 years. What kept you attractted and kept you going? What is the excitement of the auction world and jewelry? What was it? What excited you? Daniela: Why I stayed in jewels in the auction world is simply because only by working within the auction house, that sort of frame, do you have the chance to see the amount of objects I have seen. What is seen with the auction is just a fraction of what we see throughout the year, especially in London. It was a fantastic place because we had what we called counter service. People could just come off Bond Street with their little trinkets, knock on the door, and we had to go out to the counter and give evaluations. That was constant throughout the day. Now, if you have a look at the amount of jewels if you work in a museum, even in the jewel-rich museums of the world such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, you have the collection; you have that number. If you work for a dealer, you have your stock. But we had access to the jewels of different clients, so many different collections. We may have never sold it, or we valued it and we never got it for sale because somebody else got it for sale, or we valued it because they simply wanted to know the weight of the collection. I can't think of how many thousands of jewels I've seen in my life, the sheer number and the variety. You went from little jewels made of woven hair to 100-carat flawless diamonds, jewels of the Duchess of Windsor to the jewels of Gina Lollobrigida to the jewels of Maria Callas to the tiny, little diamond ring that had been sewn inside a teddy bear at the beginning of World War II and was rediscovered 40 years later by the granddaughter of the deceased person by breaking into this very old teddy. It's the sheer amount of variety and the variety of human stories behind these jewels. Sharon: It must have been very, very attractive, I could understand how that's very compelling. Daniela, thank you so much for spending time with us today, telling us only part of your story. You've lived a really fantastic life, so thank you for being with us today. Daniela: Sharon, thank you so much for having me. All the best to you and your team. Thank you again for listening. Please leave us a rating and review so we can help others start their own jewelry journey.

Quotomania 141: Ian Boyden

Quotomania

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2022 1:31

Subscribe to Quotomania on Simplecast or search for Quotomania on your favorite podcast app!For this very special Quotomania debut of Ian Boyden's unpublished poem “Assay,” Boyden shared a short statement on the work:“I'm so delighted you are going to read my poem ‘Assay' as part of your Quotomania project. It might seem strange, but in an important way, this is precisely how I want this poem to enter the world—delivered by the voice of someone other than myself (and yet not an Other). And that it is your voice, a voice I have come to love so much, that makes it even better. “Why do I feel this way? This poem is a record of an experience, that of the gradual breakdown of the “illusory self” that somehow forms as we grow, perhaps in the way a hard crust grows on lava as it cools. The generation of the illusory self is a response to some external condition. And somehow in this process a separation occurs, as if part of us were trapped to one side of the crust, and the other part to the other. I don't know if there is a singular reason for this. But a theory I am fond of is that our conscious mind is somehow captured by language, this sense of ‘I' made rigid by the insistence of language itself. And with ‘I' comes ‘non-I.' Thus, the mentality of ‘we-they' is born. The Other. “Think about this, Paul, language might be a separate temperature from who we fundamentally are. When we expose ourselves to this extraordinary tool of communication, it changes our state of matter. What was transparent might become opaque, what was liquid might become solid. Great eruptions of steam and fog. Calcium carbonate precipitates to form some dense shell. And somehow consciousness separates. And then it begins to perceive our world as through the lens of separation. “You asked me to suggest quotations, and here is one from Sam Hamill in this regard that I love. It comes from his essay ‘The Necessity to Speak':Nothing will change until we demolish the ‘we-they' mentality. We are human, and therefore all human concerns are ours. And those concerns are personal.“Many years ago, I had a profound experience in which the boundary between myself and my environment shattered. I saw quite clearly that I was not separate from my environment. That, in fact, I was my environment, that we are our environment. What we do to our environment, we do to ourselves. And this revelation has been at the heart of my work for the last decade or more. And at the same time, this revelation also illuminated a similar internal illusion, an illusory I that is somehow separate from who we fundamentally are. What is our fundamental self or fundamental disposition? “There is a famous Zen koan that speaks to the importance, really the revelatory quality of knowing that fundamental disposition. When the seven century Zen master Hongren declared Huineng his dharma heir, it created an intense controversy among the monks at his temple. Some of them were so angry that they wanted to kill Huineng, causing Huineng to flee for his life. One of Hongren's other disciples, a head monk named Ming, pursued Huineng and finally caught up with him in the mountains. In a life-or-death situation, Huineng asked Ming this question: ‘Without thinking of right, without thinking of wrong, at this very moment, what is your original disposition?' Disposition is a wonderful word in Chinese meaning literally ‘face and eyes.' Upon being asked this question, head monk Ming experiences a massive opening, recognizes Huineng as the rightful dharma heir and lets him go on his way. And Huineng's question has become a question asked of every student of Zen ever since.“What is your original disposition? It is such a severe question. That original disposition of the flowing lava before the blinding crust. What is your fundamental nature? How do you penetrate the crust to see it? How do you go about knowing that? It seems to defy all logical structures. So, this poem documents an aspect of my experience in that search. “And this brings me to the title ‘Assay.' This can be either a verb or a noun. I prefer the title be understood as a verb, though I also have no intention of limiting it to one or another. It means to test the quality of a metal, and by extension to assess the nature of a given thing. When I was a child, I identified with Hephaestus, I loved that he lived in a volcano forging metal, I even wrote my first book about him at age 7 or 8. And later, I even moved to Sicily where I climbed Mount Etna, Hephaestus' home! And then later, I worked in a bronze foundry, where I performed assays many times. So I felt this word fit perfectly with my own cosmology. But then I began to feel unease, because Jane Hirshfield, who is one of my favorite poets and who I count as a dear friend, has used this word in the title of a great number of her poems, a kind of formula: {X}: An Assay. So, I wrote to her, asking her if she would mind, and she wrote back a lovely note, saying, ‘you more than have my blessing, didn't need my blessing, but I still appreciate you inquiring, because I might, after all, have felt otherwise.'”Bio:Ian Boyden—artist, writer, translator, and curator—investigates relationships between the self and the environment, in particular how art and writing can shape our ecology. Consistent across his productions are his interests in material relevance and place-based thought, as well as a deep awareness of East Asian philosophies and aesthetics. He studied for many years in China and Japan, and holds degrees in the History of Art from Wesleyan University and Yale University. In recent years, he has worked extensively with Chinese dissidents, including artist Ai Weiwei and poet Tsering Woeser. He is the recipient of a Literary Translation Fellowship from the NEA to translate the work of Woeser. He is the author of A Forest of Names: 108 Meditations (Wesleyan University Press, 2020), and his artist books, paintings, and sculptures are found in many public collections including Reed College, Stanford University, the Portland Art Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. From www.ianboyden.com. For more information about Ian Boyden:“‘Eradicate the Self' Self Portrait”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYCJVLVHrF0A Forest of Names: https://www.weslpress.org/9780819579959/a-forest-of-names/“A Landscape of Dignity: A Conversation with Ai Weiwei and Ian Boyden”: https://www.raintaxi.com/a-landscape-of-dignity-a-conversation-with-ai-weiwei-and-ian-boyden/“The Nature of Names: A Conversation with Ian Boyden”: https://theadroitjournal.org/2020/09/24/the-nature-of-names-a-conversation-with-ian-boyden/Translations of “Assay”:Swedish translation by Charlotta Smeds:SkärskådaI åratal hamrade jagpå en vägg runt mitt hjärtaoch när den äntligen rasadefann jag att varelsen inom migvar densammasom höll i hammarenhela tiden—Ian BoydenItalian translation by Charlotta Smeds:ScrutarePer anni ho preso a martellate il muro attorno al mio cuoree quando alla fine è crollatoho trovato che l'essere al suo internoera lo stesso che aveva tenuto il martello per tutto il tempo—Ian BoydenChinese translation by Danhong Tang:證顯多年來我錘打著一堵環繞我心的牆當它終於碎崩時我發現裡面的眾生與那個握著錘子的生物一直是一樣的—Ian Boyden

Podcast 145 - Painting the Georgian Garden

Roots and All

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2022 31:13

I'm speaking to Dr Cathryn Spence this week, about Thomas Robins, a painter who documented the country estates of the Georgian gentry in all their Rococo splendour. Robins captured images of this flamboyant age of outdoor design where gardens were laden with symbolism and crammed full of Chinoiserie, follies ruins and the latest imports of exotic animals and plants. Follow the story of Robins as he moves from jobbing fan painter to star of his own paintings, the development of the floral borders around his canvases, for which he's famed, and the evolution of the Georgian garden and what remains of this style today. Dr Ian Bedford's Bug of the Week: Fig wasps What we cover The artist Thomas Robins and when and where he worked What gardens looked like at the time Robins was painting What is a Rococo garden? Why Robins painted floral borders around his paintings How exotic species came to be included in these frames In the book, Cathryn references “the Rococo's requirement of asymmetry”. How did this manifest in Robins' artworks and in gardens? Political themes in Georgian gardens Robins' botanical art How contemporary painters painted entire estates on one canvas Remaining examples of rococo gardens About ‘Nature's Favourite Child – Thomas Robins and the Art of the Georgian Garden' Thomas Robins the Elder (1716–1770) recorded the country estates of the Georgian gentry—their orchards, Rococo gardens, and potagers—like no other, with both topographical accuracy and delightful artistry, often bordering his gouaches with entrancing tendrils, shells, leaves, and birds. Robins's skill was honed by the delicacy required for his early career as a fan painter and is shown too in his exquisite paintings of butterflies, flowers, and birds. This ravishing and scholarly study emerges from many years' research by Dr Cathryn Spence, the curator and archivist at Bowood House who has also worked for the V&A, the Bath Preservation Trust, and the National Trust. This is the first full study of Thomas Robins since John Harris's Gardens of Delight, published in two volumes in 1978; Harris, in fact, made over all his research notes to Spence in 2005 when she embarked on her work. Chinoiserie is everywhere—a wooden bridge over the Thames, delicious kiosks in a garden, a view of Bath with sampans, and Chinese fishermen on the river. There are also fascinating views of Sudeley Castle and other great houses that incorporated more or less ruined monastic structures, destroyed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Spence has tracked down many previously unknown paintings by Robins and sets his elusive life and work in the framework of his patrons. More detective story than art historical monograph, this lavish study delights in Robins's astonishing proficiency as a topographical, botanical, entomological and naturalist artist. About Cathryn Spence Dr Cathryn Spence is a museum professional, lecturer and historic gardens and buildings consultant. After a career in London and Bath museums, including the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Building of Bath Museum, she is now Lord Lansdowne's consultant Archivist and Curator at Bowood House, Wiltshire. She has published several books on the architectural and social history of Bath, most recently The Story of Bath (2016). Her study of Thomas Robins is the culmination of over fifteen years research. Cathryn has worked with the team at Painswick Rococo Garden, a site restored using Robins's paintings from 1984, for the last 5 years advising on the continuing heritage and conservation of the garden. Links Nature's Favourite Child – Thomas Robins and the Art of the Georgian Garden by Cathryn Spence is available from John Sandoe Books or directly from the author. Email thomasrobinselder@gmail.com (£45 to include p&p to a UK address, for RoW postage contact Cathryn on the above email for quote). Painswick Rococo Garden Patreon Membership

art uk building story chinese gardens political harris painting delight elder bath remaining curator bug spence robins georgian thames wiltshire dissolution national trust archivist john harris rococo monasteries victoria albert museum chinoiserie lord lansdowne

Shane Connolly: Flower Power

Aisle Seat

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2022 34:34

On this week's show, host Alison McGill sits down with London-based floral designer Shane Connolly, renowned not only for his inspiring, organic, and original approach to his craft, but as a champion of sustainability. Shane's design work has taken him around the world, and he counts the Victoria & Albert Museum and The Royal Academy of Arts in London as two of his most valued clients. In 2011, Shane was appointed the artistic director for the wedding of their royal highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, bringing the floral vision of one of the world's most famous and elegant royal weddings to life. ..... Find out more about Aisle Seat.

Edwina Ibbotson in conversation with Roger Kneebone

Countercurrent: conversations with Professor Roger Kneebone

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2022 71:09

Edwina Ibbotson is a couture milliner who studied in London, New York and Paris. She's known for combining striking designs with meticulous craftsmanship and attention to detail. Based in London, she is a member of the British Hat Guild and the Art Workers' Guild and has had work exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum. http://www.edwinaibbotson.co.uk

new york conversations guild ibbotson victoria albert museum roger kneebone

Luca Molà - Venezia tra invenzioni e ingegno origini e sviluppo del brevetto

Economics Tuesday Talks

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2021 40:56

Luca Molà è laureato in storia a Ca' Foscari si è poi trasferito negli Stati Uniti per il dottorato in storia alla Johns Hopkins University di Baltimora. Dal 1999 al 2010 ha insegnato storia del Rinascimento all'Università di Warwick in Gran Bretagna; dal 2010 al 2018 ha tenuto la cattedra di Storia dell'Europa Rinascimentale all'European University Institute di Firenze; dal 2018 è ritornato all'Università di Warwick. È stato fellow dell'Harvard Centre for Italian Renaissance Studies at Villa I Tatti a Firenze, Directeur d'études invitato all'École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales di Parigi e ha tenuto corsi di master sulla storia del design al Victoria & Albert Museum di Londra.Le sue ricerche si incentrano sulla storia dell'innovazione tecnica e della cultura materiale, dei commerci e delle comunità artigianali e mercantili tra il 1300 al 1650 circa, con particolare attenzione a Venezia, all'Italia e al mondo mediterraneo.

Cup Runneth

Stuff The British Stole

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2021 38:52

In County Cork, Ireland, there's a tree that locals call the Chalice Tree. Local lore says it's where British Redcoats disrupted a secret Catholic mass, killed two priests and took a sacred chalice. Now that chalice sits in London's Victoria & Albert Museum. But what happened in the intervening 200 years is now being pieced together by two Irish families: the O'Keeffes and the McAulliffe's.

local ireland irish catholic county cork victoria albert museum british redcoats

Filmfrelst #474: Artitekturfilm Oslo 2021 – en samtale med Bêka & Lemoine om «Tokyo Ride»

Filmfrelst

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2021 50:37

Filmfestivalen Arkitekturfilm Oslo ble i år arrangert fra 21.-24. oktober, og etter visningen av dokumentaren Tokyo Ride på Kunstnernes Hus Kino, møtte vi regissørparet Ila Bêka og Louise Lemoine (Bêka & Lemoine) til en samtale foran publikum, som her presenteres i en spesialepisode av Filmfrelst. Den berømte japanske arkitekten Ryue Nishizawa står i sentrum for Tokyo Ride, en leken og nær portrettdokumentar som tar utgangspunkt i én dag i Nishizawas travle liv – der regissørene Bêka & Lemoine møter ham på bakkeplan med håndholdt kamera, for et etterlengtet møte som tar form av en kjøretur (i arkitektens elskede Alfa Romeo) gjennom den japanske metropolen. Bêka & Lemoine har siden sin første film sammen som duo, Koolhaas Houselife (2008), skildret ulike arkitektur-relaterte temaer eller motiver i sine produksjoner, da Ila Bêka selv har bakgrunn som arkitekt og Louise Lemoine opprinnelig er kunsthistoriker. Som filmskapere har de jobbet på siden av den tradisjonelle filmbransjen/-industrien, og isteden rettet seg mot et publikum i krysningspunktet mellom kunst, arkitektur og film. Deres filmer presenteres «på store biennaler og internasjonale arrangementer som Venice Architecture Biennale, Oslo Architecture Triennale og Performa New York, og er utstilt på museer og kulturinstitusjoner som MET i New York, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art i København, Victoria & Albert Museum i London,» som Arkitekturfilm Oslo skriver i sin presentasjon. Samtalen nedenfor med Bêka & Lemoine er ledet av Montages-redaktør Karsten Meinich, ble organisert i samarbeid med Oslo Arkitektforening og Arkitekturfilm Oslo, og fant altså sted lørdag 23. oktober etter visningen av Tokyo Ride på Kunstnernes Hus Kino. Alle filmene laget av Bêka & Lemoine er for øvrig også tilgjengelig digitalt, for leie eller kjøp, via filmskapernes egen nettside. God lytting!

god new york tokyo ride oslo deres montages modern art alfa romeo samtalen samtale lemoine venice architecture biennale victoria albert museum louisiana museum filmfrelst

109. Lyric World: Ian Boyden with Shin Yu Pai

In The Moment podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2021 52:41

In May of 2008, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Sichuan, China in the middle of the afternoon. Entire towns were destroyed, schools collapsed, and over 80,000 people died — many of them schoolchildren. When grief-stricken families were denied information about exactly who and how many children died, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei initiated a critical and controversial response by compiling their names and expressing a region's collective grief through art. Enter Ian Boyden, who first encountered the thousands of names while curating Ai's 2016 exhibition, Ai Weiwei: Fault Line, at the San Juan Islands Museum of Art. Over the course of a year, Boyden read and translated the poetic essence of the children's names and composed heartbreaking, elegiac verses in response. The resulting work, A Forest of Names, meditates on humanity, memory, and language. In our 109th episode of In the Moment, Shin Yu Pai and Boyden explore his haunting and healing tribute of the thousands of lives lost. Ian Boyden is a visual artist, translator, writer, and curator whose work holds a deep awareness of East Asian aesthetics. He studied for several years in China and Japan and holds degrees in Art History from Wesleyan University and Yale University. His art and published work are found in many public collections including Reed College, Stanford University, the Portland Art Museum, and the Victoria & Albert Museum. His work is interdisciplinary, and past collaborations have involved scientists, poets, composers, and visual artists. Shin Yu Pai is Program Director for Town Hall. She is the author of eleven books of poetry. Her work has appeared in publications throughout the U.S., Japan, China, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and Canada. Her essays and nonfiction writing have appeared in Tricycle, YES! Magazine, The Rumpus, City Arts, The Stranger, Medium, and others. Buy the Book: A Forest of Names: 108 Meditations Presented by Town Hall Seattle. To become a member or make a donation click here.

109. Lyric World: Ian Boyden with Shin Yu Pai

In The Moment Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2021 52:41

Episode 94 ★ So Many Crimes

Bowl After Bowl

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2021 150:07

VALUE ENABLED, VALUE-FOR-VALUE There are INFINITE ways to give value back to the Bowl After Bowl podcast. Of course, you can always send your cuckbucks via PayPal or stream some satoshis. Make us some art or a jingle. Send ISOs, stories, or videos to check out. And of course the voicemail box is always open, so call or text: (816) 607-3663 Go ahead and vote for Bowl After Bowl in the Adam Curry People's Choice and Society - Culture categories! Also, make sure you vote for Hog Story under Leisure and Fun Fact Friday in Kids & Family. CRYPTO COGNIZANCE The ports are open on Castopod but our episodes won't upload. It's a step in the right direction! Cops seized $333 million in the largest-ever cryptocurrency raid in the UK discovered as part of money laundering scheme. TOP THREE 33 A Former Illinois school superintendent was sentenced to 33 months in prison and ordered to pay back the $343,000 he stole from his school district. Genetic codes for 33 viruses identified in 15,000-year-old Tibetan glacier ice. An Omaha band teacher of over 33 years was arrested for felony child abuse BONUS: Three people were killed and 33 injured during weekend shootings in Philadelphia. THE COOF CONTINUES 33 people test positive for COVID-19 at West Yarmouth nursing home, health officials confirm 33 new cases in Saskatchewan. Joints for Jabs is back -- this time, in Long Beach WEED Politico is the only place to find a copy of Cory Booker, Ron Wyden, and Chuck Schumer's draft bill to decriminalize and deschedule marijuana since nothing has been filed. You can watch their July 14, 2021 draft bill unveiling conference here. Despite their enthusiasm, Biden has not changed his stance of only supporting decriminalization. A cannabis company admitted they were responsible for an 250-acre wildfire sparking from a lawnmower. A Michigan processing plant lost its license because an employee was seen licking her gloved finger and a spatula, but a company spokesperson says it was taste testing day. Meanwhile the state's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, signed a legislation package to regulate hemp-derived delta-8 THC. The World Anti-Doping Agency responded to a letter from Representatives Jamie Raskin and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez blaming the US Anti-Doping Agency for keeping cannabinoids on the Prohibited List. Three Massachusetts companies started delivering weed to people's homes and there are eight more waiting to finalize their licenses and begin. The Illinois governor signed a bill into law creating 110 new dispensary licenses, 55 of which are reserved for equity applicants. The very next day, a lawsuit was filed. FIRST TIME I EVER... This week the bowlers chimed in with stories about the first time they ever went to a buffet. Next week, we want to hear from YOU about the first time you ever called someone by the wrong name. Fuck it, Dude. Let's go bowling. #FIDLGB A South Korean University toilet turns methane into power for building appliances and electrity, then rewards students using it with a digital currency for use on campus. US scientists successfully convert a paralyzed man's brain waves to full sentences A rare 100-pound, 3.5-foot moonfish (opah fish) washed ashore on Sunset Beach in Seaside, Oregon last Wednesday. A Missouri man found in alligator in the creek behind his house. A mark found on a small wax statue at London's Victoria & Albert Museum may be Michelangelo's thumbprint A concerned goose checked on her mate who was taken in for surgery Animal control officers got a call regarding an owl that couldn't fly. Turns out, it's claw was clamped between the top and bottom shell of a turtle. A Georgia woman found a mama snake with 17 baby snakes living under her bed. A raccoon wandered into a Georgia home and couldn't find its way out, so the fire department came over to give him a hand. A New Jersey housecleaner broke into a home and cleaned up after mistaking it for his client's.

Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi "Il corpo e l'anima. Da Donatello a Michelangelo"

il posto delle parole

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 20, 2021 30:02

Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi"Il corpo e l'anima"Da Donatello a MichelangeloScultura italiana del RinascimentoMilano, Castello Sforzesco: 21 luglio - 24 ottobre 2021https://www.milanocastello.it/Ospitata nelle sale del Musée du Louvre di Parigi fino al 21 giugno scorso, apre al pubblico domani 21 luglio sino al 24 ottobre nelle Sale Viscontee del Castello Sforzesco la mostra “Il Corpo e l'Anima, da Donatello a Michelangelo. Scultura italiana del Rinascimento”, promossa e prodotta da Comune di Milano-Cultura, Castello Sforzesco, Musée du Louvre e realizzata grazie a Civita Mostre e Musei, con il sostegno di Fondazione Cariplo.Un affondo su oltre sessant'anni di storia dell'arte, dal ritorno di Donatello a Firenze nel 1453 fino alla morte dei più perfetti interpreti del Rinascimento, Leonardo e Raffaello, scomparsi rispettivamente nel 1519 e nel 1520. Sessant'anni durante i quali i maestri del Rinascimento hanno scavato la materia per far emergere “i moti dell'anima”, i tormenti e le tensioni, i palpiti, per rendere ancora più viva l'emozione. Sessant'anni di opere strappate al marmo, modellate nella terracotta, intagliate nel legno, fuse nel bronzo, in un percorso che trova il suo apice nella “Pietà Rondanini”, sulla quale Michelangelo lavorò fino alla sua morte, avvenuta nel 1564.Il percorso è stato studiato e progettato congiuntamente da Musée du Louvre e Castello Sforzesco, in particolare da Marc Bormand, conservatore al dipartimento delle sculture del Louvre; Beatrice Paolozzi Strozzi, direttrice del Museo del Bargello dal 2001 al 2014; e Francesca Tasso, conservatrice responsabile delle Raccolte Artistiche del Castello Sforzesco di Milano.Le 120 opere esposte provengono dai più importanti musei del mondo: dal Metropolitan Museum di New York al Kunsthistorisches Museum di Vienna, dal Museo Nacional del Prado di Madrid al Museo Nazionale del Bargello di Firenze, dal Victoria&Albert Museum di Londra alla “Her Majesty the Queen Elisabeth II from the British Royal Collection”, oltre che, naturalmente, dal Musée du Louvre e dalle raccolte civiche del Castello Sforzesco.Accompagna la mostra un prestigioso catalogo scientifico edito in italiano e francese a cura di Officina Libraria, vincitore del Prix du catalogue d'exposition 2021.IL POSTO DELLE PAROLEascoltare fa pensarehttps://ilpostodelleparole.it/

Season 1 Episode 6 Places to see embroidery

The Embroidery Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2021 39:31

Marg and Masako are chatting about some places to see embroidery in the UK, such as Victoria & Albert Museum, Burrell Collection and many many more. If you know any other places, please let us know! Instagram: @theembroiderypocast Twitter: @TheEmbroideryP1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theembroiderypodcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/theembroiderypodcast/message

uk places embroidery marg masako victoria albert museum burrell collection

Unencumbered Voices in Curated Spaces : Hauser & Wirth x Shade with Guest Michael Ohajuru

Shade

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2021 21:12

Unencumbered Voices in Curated Spaces: Inspired by the life & work of Sir Frank Bowling - a three-part summer podcast series, investigating freedom of expression today and throughout art history.This second episode in a special series of conversations from Shade, supported by Hauser & Wirth is with art historian Michael Ohajuru. Based in London, Michael Ohajuru is a Senior Fellow of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies where he leads the ‘What's Happening in Black British History' workshops, fostering a creative dialogue between researchers, educators, archivists, curators, and policy makers. He speaks regularly on the Black presence in Renaissance Europe at the National Gallery, Tate Britain, British Library, National Archives and the Victoria Albert Museum, highlighting the overt and covert Black presence in national art collections. His new book coauthored with With S. I. Martin, ‘The Guide to Black London,' is forthcoming from September Publishing.‘Frank Bowling. London / New York' is on view Hauser & Wirth New York, 22nd Street from 5 May and Hauser & Wirth London from 21 May 2021. Shade Podcast is produced and hosted by Lou MensahEditing and sound design by CA DavisMusic by Brian JacksonSeries supported by Hauser & Wirth See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Importance of Being Earnest

Two Broads Talking Politics

Play Episode Listen Later May 24, 2021 52:15

This week we travel back to Victorian England with the Importance of Being Earnest! Join us for a discussion of female archers, foundlings, boutonnieres, the film's many great zingers, tattoos, and more! Sources: Archery: John Stanley, "Archery History: The Sport that Pioneered Equality for Women's Participation," World Archery, available at https://worldarchery.sport/news/178437/archery-history-sport-pioneered-equality-womens-participation Archery Dresses, Autumn 1831, Claremont Colleges Fashion Plate Collection. Available at https://ccdl.claremont.edu/digital/collection/fpc/id/174/ William Powell Frith, "The Fair Toxophilites." Available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_the_Victorian_era#/media/File:RAMM_Frith_-_The_Fair_Toxophilites.jpg Film Background: The Importance of Being Earnest, 2002, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest_(2002_film) Roger Ebert Review of The Importance of Being Earnest, available at https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-importance-of-being-earnest-2002 "The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)" IMDB https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0278500/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 Lady Bracknell quotes: https://www.importanceofbeingearnest.co.uk/lady-bracknell-quotes/ Foundlings: Lydia Murdoch, Imagined Orphans: Poor Families, Child Welfare, and Contested Citizenship in London (Rutgers University Press, 2006). Ellen Boucher, Empire's children: child emigration, welfare, and the decline of the British world, 1869-1967 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014). Jessica A. Sheetz-Nguyen, Victorian Women, Unwed Mothers and the London Foundling Hospital (Bloomsbury, 2012). Lynda Nead, "Fallen Women and Foundlings: Rethinking Victorian Sexuality," History Workshop Journal 82 (August 2016). Jane Humphries (reviewer) "Orphans of Empire: The Fate of London's Foundlings. By Helen Berry (New York, Oxford University Press, 2019) 384 pp. $27.95," Journal of Interdisciplinary History 51:1 (Summer 2020). Elizabeth Foyster, "The "New World of Children" Reconsidered: Child Abduction in Late Eighteenth- and Early Nineteenth-Century England," Journal of British Studies, 52:3 (July 2013): 669-92. https://www.jstor.org/stable/41999356 Shurlee Swain, "Beyond chlid migration, inquiries, apologies and the implications for the writing of a transnational child welfare history," History Australia 13:1 (May 2016): 139-52. https://doi.org/10.1080/14490854.2016.1156212 "The Lost Child Found." The Cardiff and Methyr Guardian Glamorgan Monmouth and Brecon Gazette (16 April 1870). https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3096837/3096841/23/abandoned%20lost%20child%20London "Law and Police." The Illustrated London News (3 April 1869). https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/HN3100078408/ILN?u=mlin_w_willcoll&sid=ILN&xid=a37b77d5 "Story of a Lost Child." Monmouthshire Merlin (1 August 1868). https://newspapers.library.wales/view/3442593/3442595/14/abandoned%20lost%20child%20London "Home Children, 1869-1932," Library and Archives Canada https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/immigration/immigration-records/home-children-1869-1930/Pages/home-children.aspx Bernd Weisbrod, "How to Become a Good Foundling in Early Victorian London," Social History 10:2 (May 1985): 193-209. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4285430 "Our History" Barnardo's https://www.barnardos.org.uk/who-we-are/our-history Boutonnieres: "History of Fashion 1840-1900" Victoria & Albert Museum http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/h/history-of-fashion-1840-1900/ https://www.vanderbilt.edu/olli/class-materials/History_of_Fashion_Oct30.pdf Harper Franklin, "1890-1899" Fashion History Timeline https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1890-1899/ https://bellatory.com/fashion-industry/Mens-Clothing-of-the-Late-Victorian-Era https://www.nypl.org/blog/2014/09/25/19th-century-fashion-plate-magazines Tattoos: Database of Convict Tattoos, Digital Panopticon, available at https://www.digitalpanopticon.org/search?targ=hitlist&e0.type.t.t=root&e1.date.d.hy=1839&e1.date.d.ly=1830&e0.gender.tg.x=&e1.date.d.hm=&e0.tattoo_subjects.mts.mts=&e1.date.d.lm=&e1.date.d.hd=&e1.type.t.t=tattoo&e1.date.d.ld= Robert Shoemaker and Zoe Alker, "How Tattoos Became Fashionable in Victorian England," The Conversation, available at https://theconversation.com/how-tattoos-became-fashionable-in-victorian-england-122487 "Tattoo Machines," Tattooarchive.com, available at https://www.tattooarchive.com/history/tattoo_machine.php

Kate Malone MBE (#VoteHerIn, Episode 65)

Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2021 44:19

#VoteHer In co-producer and co-host, Rebecca Sive, first met Kate in the mid-1990s when she purchased her work at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. They subsequently met and became friends, along the way learning they share a birthday and a deep commitment to helping women artists achieve both their artistic goals and leadership positions in arts and civic life. Throughout her career, Kate has been generous with her time and organizing talents, developing community programs in both Great Britain and India. As you’ll see when you join the videocast, Kate is also a terrific role model for other women artists building their own businesses. For this #VoteHerIn videocast, Kate will share her thoughts about being an independent woman artists as well as about her philanthropic work.

great britain philanthropy malone pottery ceramics victoria albert museum rebecca sive

From Life's Curve Ball to Noted Podcaster, Facilitator & Coach. Welcome to Part 2 With Dr. Myriam Hadnes.

Stories From Women Who Walk

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2021 30:51

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk. You’ll recognize yourself in these true-life stories from women who are walking their lives while their lives walk them and the lasting difference these journeys have made. I’m your host, Diane Wyzga. Welcome back to Part 2 of my conversation with my guest Dr. Myriam Hadnes, founder of Workshops Work who joined us from Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Like many of us Dr. Hadnes was on a successful professional track when Life threw her a curveball transforming her from behavioral economist to noted podcaster, workshop facilitator and coach of facilitators. I asked Dr. Hadnes: “What do you offer as a facilitator that’s different?” Let’s hear what she has to say.Minutes 30:5100: to 1:48 Intro1:48 to 6:51 Q: What do you offer as a facilitator that’s different?She brings a new edge to facilitationIs not a traditional facilitator; it’s what you grow into and a path you chooseBrings behavioral sciencesBrings understanding and curiosity about human behaviorPrevious experience in making better decisions and get out of own unhealthy, unhelpful wayThis personal experience is her super-powerShe shows how to help groups of individuals to step out of own way, communicate better, collaborate betterToday: is interviewing facilitators doing good work and was pushed to became a coach of the coaches to help others facilitate their workshopsCraving community and does not want to to compete with those she liftsHer value add after 100 podcast episodes has the knowledge of the conversations to generate ideas, new edgeBasically these guests were her mentors to make a workshop workTook natural talents abilities, gifts and transformed those into Workshops Work in which gathered together a collective of like-minded people who shared knowledge with her; they taught her and now she’s sharing, training others in the calling and casting net6:51 to 8:50 Mission & Global IntentionHer mission: she’s convinced we can change world 1 workshop at a timeBelieves we need better communication/collaboration - which happens in workshopsHelps educators, trainers, spouses etc become better facilitators of conversations .Her global intention comes back to looking for ways to facilitate good conversations in home, community, school, and whatever spaces we are inhabitingImperative to look for ways to encourage good conversations all over8:50 to 16:45 Q: How do you get people to do that?A mindset shift; as a facilitator you don’t have stakes in outcome but the curiosity and trust that the group has the answers; they just need someone to ask the right questions and help them articulateFacilitator “yes-ands” what they hear, thinks outside box, sets boundaries to make sense of what’s coming up, prioritizesIn homes, “yes-anding” and listening to understand, not reply and trust some good will come out without being married to solution would change dynamics about wanting to be rightWhat if?One magic question: "How might we [ ]?" This is space where ideas emerge, creativity happensStorytelling is similar, Doug Lipman of Story Dynamics who taught us: (1) listen with deep appreciation and (2) people need stories listened out of them; that they knew the story they wanted to tell but didn’t know they knewHost calls herself "Story Doula" for that reason - I midwife storiesWe are Simpatico in visions of shifting cultures, behaviors, attitudes with “yes and”Listening to reply is default to many; listening to understand is next step; listening to appreciate is higher artHost calls it “listening to the music of the spoken word”Music as metaphorOne fact we often forget: we hear what we want to hear; we don’t control what parts of our story is heard or the reflection of our own story in the words of someone elseShe returns to the Vipassana retreats (4 or 5 by this time) and finds interesting that as she listens to a recording she’s heard before she hears differentPeople in the room also hear what they need to hearWhat if we hear something that wasn’t said?16:45 to 19:32 Q: Your testimonials are full of high-praise. What is the single-most skill you lean on as an effective facilitator? What would be the most important tip you can offer about mindset shifts and hearing/listening?Tries to apply: "I heard this, is this what you said?" Or, "When you say this I hear that l is this what you meant?"Personal example: Are you still hungry versus are you sure you want to eat more and get fat?Became a routine, provided insights and saved other friendships and relationshipsClarify19:32 to 24:54 Q: Passion Project: Never Done Before 2020 - a Global Festival - What It Is and How It Came to BeThe podcast community and mentors have so much to offerConferences feel old, boring, dissatisfactionWhat could we do if we were not afraid?Daringly crazy idea: what if we organized a conference - a festival - never done before: podcast guests would host workshop in a format or way never did before so participants will experience, inspire and encourageOn November 30, 2020 a 24 hour global online festival by 30 expert facilitators hosting never before done sessionsWill be launched again in November 2021 - for updates subscribe to the NDB newsletterDance with status quo and fear of failureBeing a visionary begins with being naiveIn two weeks expects it will be magic!Ask: What if?Ruth Dent: “... and then, after looking back and seeing how far you've come, look forward and see / imagine how far you can go.” as told to her by Elizabeth Esteve-Coll, former Director of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.24:54 to 26:37 Q: Where do you imagine your work will take you next? Sees this community staying, playing, co-creating togetherIn our world we have too little space to experiment with imperfection and raw ideasWants to nurture this community of facilitators to join this co-design projectImagine how many things can happen, designed and created, when we work together!Imagine that!Please Note: Before I say thank you I want to mention that all social media links and connections to Dr. Hadnes's Workshops Work website will be posted in the Episode Notes. Make sure you drop by and check out the many resources, images, and free podcasts and newsletter available to you. A treasure trove of entertainment, inspiration and moreThank you very much, Myriam, for walking along with us and sharing your life story which, I trust, will be of very good use and inspiration to those who are ready to step out. And to those who may not be so ready but when they are can look back and say one day I listened to someone who did this and now I can, too!Thank you, Diane, for bringing out the stories with questions and listening.Here we are, at the end of the road but not the journey. Thank you for listening to this episode of Stories From Women Who Walk with your host Diane Wyzga and my guest Dr. Myriam Hadnes, noted facilitator, podcaster and founder of Workshops Work based in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Remember to visit Dr. Hadnes and check out all the many resources, podcast episodes and videos available to you on her website, as well as keeping in touch with Myriam and her work on social media platforms. All links are right here n the Episode Notes.You’re also invited to check out over 230 episodes of Stories From Women Who Walk found on Simplecast or your favorite podcast platform. This is the place to thrive together. Come for the stories - stay for the magic. Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, share a nice shout out on your social media or podcast channel of choice, and join us next time! You will have wonderful company as we walk our lives together.Dr. Myriam Hadnes BIOMyriam Hadnes is a behavioral economist by degree, a podcaster by passion and a facilitator by profession. She is German by birth, and Amsterdammer by choice. Before starting her solo-business, Myriam had a career in higher education and research which allowed her to work, live and explore in Vietnam, Burkina Faso, and Luxembourg.Today, she follows the vision that we can change the world – one workshop at a time – because all it takes is effective collaboration, which happens in workshops. As a pragmatic dreamer, a sense-maker, a connector of ideas and of humans, Myriam creates opportunities for others to collaborate. Myriam is an optimist – sailing towards the edges of the status quo to explore what might be waiting for us beyond. How to Stay in Touch with Dr. Myriam Hadnes Find out more on www.workshops.workSocial Media:https://www.linkedin.com/in/myriam-hadneshttps://twitter.com/myriamHadneshttps://www.instagram.com/myriamhadnes/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP34BMosJEqYMYu6EoF5IsQ/videos

Episode 6

From A to Gen Z with Connie and Jaleh

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2020 39:58

Follow us on social media! Instagram @fromatogenz // Twitter @FromAtoGenZPod // Facebook 'From A to Gen Z with Connie and Jaleh' // In this episode, Connie and Jaleh discuss the biopic "What Happened, Miss Simone?" on Netflix, the strange novel 'Indelicacy' by Amina Cain, and the latest exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, 'From Kyoto to Catwalk' (about the development of kimono in Japanese culture). Along the way they chat about the Savage x Fenty fashion show on Amazon Prime (versus the Victoria's Secret shows), Nigella Lawson retraining to become a star on OnlyFans, and some Nice Nuggets of News - which sparks a momentary desire to become firewomen. And how does Gossip Girl hold up 13 years on - is it Whack or Woke?

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S1 Ep9- “Reinvent Yourself”: Your Twenties is a Creative Experiment

Navigating Your Twenties

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 16, 2020 41:28

Kate drops in to chat to dear friend Tascha Von Uexkull, workshop facilitator for Little Artists London and the Victoria & Albert Museum, for a chat all about creativity and experimentation in your twenties. Psychologists say we reinvent ourselves more in our twenties than any other age and that creativity peaks in this decade. They chat all about finding your creative spark, changing your mind about who you are & what you want. putting yourself out there and how to use creativity to thrive and grow. Follow the adventure on Instagram and Facebook @navigatingyourtwentiespodcast and contact navigatingyourtwenties@gmail.com for enquiries.

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133 - Barry Lewis