Apart from
the title, this is the story of something borrowed and something gained. I
borrowed a spoon of free time and I gained everything that will be worth being
mentioned just by writing a big , self-explanatory word – inspiration. My home
plans were clear and I even had a foot walk trajectory. But, my plans vanished
once I got to my first stop. It was the “Autor – Design jewelry Fair”. I must confess that I am an average
fashion lover, with no desperate addiction. I enjoy fashion as a form of art, but
I am honest enough to admit that ,from my point of view, fashion is not supreme
to any other form of art in particular. It’s as equal in my eyes, or even a
little bit below any other.
So, here I
am , admitting to be relaxed about this and free to feel surprised , but hardly
in love with it. Of course, this is the story of my conversion. You’ve guessed
well that this “looking around” has been transformed in “drooling around”. The
local artists and the few foreign master hands have proved me wrong. They showed
me that when concepts meet art and when art meets craft, something truly magic
happens. I’ve felt passion running around every inch of the masterpieces shown
and a care for the baby born goodies that almost didn’t seem for sale. They
seemed to belong to the creator, because they represented the strongest
statement that he had to admit.
Clarisse Bruynbroeck , a Belgium based artist
told me the story of her sister’s eating disorder disease which she represented
in her very delicate, shy and linear designs. The minimalist design approach
had a very profound story. She basically ventured to translate the characteristics
of anorexic emotions in jewelry. This life changing health problem with its
tremendous impact had a translation of gentle delicacy. The idea was a poem and
the jewelry was almost as discreet as a watermark. We set in the kitchen table
talk scenario for almost half an hour. When I left, I surely knew more about
how she sees the art that she masters, and also more about the exclamation mark
that her statement jewelry meant to raise. I congratulated her for the boldness
of the attempt and suggested her to sell the idea to an advertising agency.
It’s worth millions and it would save people thinner than myself. By this
means, I wish to wave her a “bonne voyage” to Amsterdam where she will expose
her installation which will underline once more the social debate that it is
meant to create.
Kalina Chankova was
to me, a very tasteful presence at the fair. Literally, she left me no choice
but the one to admit that, If I could, I would have invited her to the special
exhibition space that I projected in my architectural thesis project (A
culinary arts center) . There she would have had plenty of space to express her
kitchen gadget inspired jewelry. It was fun, it had the maximum admitted
colours in a very neutral and cool combo. Her statement about fashion jewelry
was very simple : creativity takes “anything” and makes “something “
(beautiful, I may add) from it. This is exactly what she did. She chose some
inspiring kitchen gadgets that her selective eye admitted to have “the
potential” and she made them be the kind of accessories that you would like to
wear. Alternative to the bone!
Neva Balnikova knits
plastic.
Walking from wonder to wonder, from rubies ,
silver water drops, exotic wood rings and impressive sparks, knitted jelewelry
holding heavy rocks and reinterpretations of the swan ring in and out, I met
what I will fully name “a Tim Burton” production. Madalina Stoica is the kind
of person that excuses herself when she presents her art, that kind of person
which is not blind nor a fool, but still has that kind of vintage modesty as to
admit that what she is showing today is only a first try. Well, she got the Ace
card from the playing pack. Her intelligence, taste and surprise factor makes
her jewelry a constant prove that you’re perception upon how to put that ring
on the finger is wrong. First of all, that is not a ring, the whole that you
see is not the one in which you put your finger in…but look how it works.
Simple, isn’t it? Well, simple…not, but ingenious…definitely. All in all, my
strong opinion is that she should make some schemes for dummies that should
accompany her designs. Their mechanic look (due to her former technique
education) is exactly that kind of harsh feminine antique beauty that fewer and
fewer women adopt . Why, I can’t tell. I love it!
MADALINA STOICA CREATIONS
Charmed by the 1 to 1 presence of a traditional jewelry
working table and by the set of medieval look gadgets, I turned my back to see
some “pezzi di sogni”. The dream works were absolutely “da sogno”. The mixed
textures of volcanic magma with fossils and rocks , and textile applications
and the free range of colors was an eye’s bliss.
Wooden organic
necklaces, silver monoblocks, dry architectural designs, parrot color degrades,
shiny , matte, dark or light but never simple. The complexity of mind and the
simple perfection of the eye and the hand drag my radical conclusion. Either
wear a fashion statement jewelry or none at all.
PEZZI DI SOGNI CREATIONS
My architect eye couldn’t help notice the inventively of the
presentation, the parametric paper madness, and the way each of the artists
added value to the product by the presentation they chose was really inspiring.
Shocking that only a few of them have artistic studies. More just felt to do
it, felt to enter this very thin niche, finding themselves in a very vast
territory, that I spied happily for almost 3 hours.
Reporting back to you,
Alma
