“Sculpture to Wear” will be shown in East Hampton August 3 through 28 at Sotheby’s selling gallery at 66 Newtown Lane.
The show will feature more than 80 works by artists including Ron Arad, Pol Bury, Alexander Calder, César, William Copley, Niki de Saint Phalle, Michael Craig-Martin, Max Ernst, Lucio Fontana, Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, Claude Lalanne, Mariko Mori, Tim Noble and Sue Webster, Gio Pomodoro, Marc Quinn, Man Ray, Christopher Thompson Royds, Ed Ruscha, Conrad Shawcross, Cora Sheibani, Yinka Shonibare CBE, Jesús Rafael Soto, Gavin Turk, William Turnbull, Rob Wynne, and Sophia Vari.
The project is a collaboration between Louisa Guinness, Louisa Guinness Gallery, London, and Tiffany Dubin of Sotheby’s, New York, who added, “It is an honor to partner with Louisa Guinness on this selling exhibit. Louisa is a pioneer in artist jewelry, having established it as a field in its right, beginning with her 2003 London landmark exhibition ‘Past and Present: Jewelry by 20th Century Artists.’ Collecting pieces by 20th-century masters and collaborating with contemporary artists, Louisa recognized that artists, especially sculptors, understood three dimensions and had a special facility for designing wearable pieces. They bring a fresh approach to materials and techniques while creating more intimate and often very different versions of their signature artworks.”
These works challenge and expand traditional ways of wearing and seeing jewelry.
“Some people would like a Picasso on their walls,” offers Guinness, “others prefer to wear one. Works by artists are scarce. The majority of pieces that exist are owned by just a few people and are buried deep in their private possessions. Often, the items have been received as personal gifts, or inherited from family members.”
Man Ray’s Le Trou, a ring, was designed to change the wearer’s perceptions of their surroundings, keeping with the surrealists’ goal of altering everyday reality. Alexander Calder’s one-of-a-kind Brass Brooch from 1940 is any collector’s prize. Jeff Koon’s platinum Rabbit pendant has a chameleon quality, a symbol of Resurrection and Easter or a sign of Playboy, or something else. It invites multiple interpretations, also standing alone as a strong small sculpture.
“The discerning collector understands that they can own a masterpiece created at a human scale.” offered Dubin. “Claude Lalanne’s has always been a favorite; Venezuelan Op and Kinetic artist Jesús Rafael Soto’s works are magnificent; British Contemporary artist Christopher Thompson Roys is another standout. The Water Rings by artist Anish Kapoor are any woman’s dream (I’ll take mine in 18k white gold with a pink enameled interior), and Rob Wynne’s Octopus ring would set my summer on the right path. Amongst all these marvelous pieces, my dream work is Man Ray’s Les Amoureux 18k gold with a removable pendant that detaches as a brooch, c 1970 inspired by his 1936 painting The Lovers.”
“These pieces are signed and are either one-of-a-kind or limited edition,” said Guinness. “They can be worn and exhibited as a piece of art. Each piece comes with its display support — keeping such jewelry in a drawer when not worn would be an absolute waste of art; why not enjoy it as a decorative piece?”
