MODERNIST JEWELRY
The American Modernist Jewelry designers in the 30's through the '60s found the decorative Victorian Jewelry, Art Nouveau Jewelry and decorative Art Deco Jewelry to star in style. Their goal was to create unique works of art that people could wear. With an emphasis on art. The modernists threw the traditional ideas completely away and found that they were therefore able to develop new methods and ways to discover and develop. They were working with silver, copper, bronze, semi-precious stones and found objects in nature such as fossils, teeth of elk, wood, old / antique coins etc. There were surreal, geometric and / or organically shaped pieces made.
In the 40s and 50s was a similar modernist movement in Scandinavia. The Modernist Jewelry in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden were made on a small scale. In a very innovative way they made use of combinations of organic materials, space age styles created by highly skilled silversmiths. Danish designers like: Volmer Bahner, Niels Erik From, Hans Hansen, Karl Gustav Hansen, Jacob Hull, Georg Jensen, Jorgen Jensen, Arne Johansen, Anni & Bent Knudsen, Anton Michelsen and Herman Siersbol. Swedish designers like: Bengt Hallberb and Karl Erik Palmberg (Alton). Norwegian designers like: David-Andersen, Aksel Holmsen, FinnJensen, Tostrup and Tone Vigeland. Finnish designers (mark) like: Jorma Laine, Pentti Sarpaneva, Björn Weckström, Hannu Ikonen, Kultaseppä Salovaara, Kupittaan Kulta, Lapponia and Karl Laine.
The modernist movement was initiated when the artistic contribution of architecture and industrial designers had an increasing influence on that period. The ideas of the German School (Bauhaus), the "commitment to the unity of the arts with crafts" became widespread. Especially when some of the modernists before the Second World War sought a safe haven in America. In America, several schools were established to support this movement. Many exhibitions were held for the public to disclose this. Artists and sculptors such as Richard Poussette-Dart, Alexander Calder, Jacques Lipschitz made Modernist Jewelry as well as the goldsmiths Paul Lobel, Margaret De Patta, Sam Kramer, Art Smith, Harry Bertoia, Philip Morton, Ed Levin and Adda Husted-Andersen.
Across the world they went to work with this movement. In 1964 the World Association of Craftsmen established the following goal: "Do not work in the spirit of competition but of cooperation. Solve complex problems together. Not only help your own success. "It was for the craftsmen and designers an exciting time to live in. Making jewellery has for some become a pure expression of thoughts and feelings and less connected with the traditional roles of the ornament. Stripped of the familiar codes and functions, it has become a contemporary jewellery art form that today is still being followed and appreciated.
