SHINY NEW DELICATE & HEAVY METAL

To launch our week of Beautiful Metal, we’ve collected a treasury of new books, celebrating the art of metal works. From jewelry to gilding to new forms of metal imaging, there’s lots to see.

Photo: Courtesy of Amazon.

One relatively new form of metal art, detonography, is a unique process that uses explosives to make intricate shapes in large scale metal sculpture. “Detonography: The Explosive Art of Evelyn Rosenberg,” by Evelyn Rosenberg documents the artist’s remarkable technique.

Rosenberg began to experiment with plastic explosives, with the help of an Israeli explosives engineer, in the mid-1980’s. She honed her skill in the New Mexico desert, near where the first atomic bomb was tested. It is a poignant example of creative destruction.  

The book is a gem. It includes the history and genesis of the new artform, as well as of herself as an artist. Photographs by John Trotter offer beautiful visual reference. Gideon Sivan, the explosives expert whose technical work served as Rosenberg’s original inspiration, adds an essay for further context.

Evelyn Rosenberg’s sculpture is on display in more than forty public locations throughout the world.

“Evelyn Rosenberg invented a new art form called Detonography. It involves using explosives to make beautiful works of art. Her artistic process gives fresh meaning to the biblical phrase ‘and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares.’"-- David Steinberg, former Books Editor, Albuquerque Journal.

(University of New Mexico Press, 2013)

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We love seeing the evolution of design in jewelry in particular. Building on the shoulders of giants --- old masters of both the rustic and refined -- turning metal ore into awe -- its only purpose to be beautiful, in and of itself, and to bring beauty to its admirers.

“25,000 Years of Jewelry,” by Maren Eichhorn-Johannsen (Editor), Adelheid Rasche (Editor) , Astrid Bahr (Editor) , and Svenia Schneider (Editor) is a gorgeous comprehensive tracing of the climb, from shoulder to shoulder, from the Paleolithic era to the present day.

The extensive holdings of the Staatliche Museen in Berlin provided much of the background for the book. Many of the pieces showcased are published here for the first time ever.

With nearly 400 opulent images, you’ll enjoy seeing crowns of ancient Greece, gold earrings from Babylon, jeweled collars worn by 13th-century Islamic royalty, as well as pieces from the imperial collection of Queen Louise of Prussia, Art Nouveau jewelry designed by René Lalique, and work by contemporary designers.

(Prestel, 2013)

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“Silver Treasures from the Land of Sheba: Regional Styles of Yemeni Jewelry,” by Marjorie Ransom, documents the artistic and cultural traditions of the Jewish jewelry makers of Yemen. With over three hundred photographs, showcasing both exquisite examples of the fine metalwork and  rare images of women, traditionally dressed and adorned, you’ll be amazed at the power and beauty of this incredible collection.

Whether you are an ethnic jewelry fan, ethnographer, jewelry designer, art historians, or collector, you will appreciate a rare collective glimpse of intricate amulet cases, hair ornaments, bridal headdresses, earrings, necklaces, ankle and wrist bracelets.  

Ransom is a Middle East specialist who has focused much of her research and collecting on traditional Yemeni silver jewelry. Her renowned collection has been exhibited at American museums.

(American University in Cairo Press, 2013)

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As we roll forward in time, to the 20th century, we know that some of the finest metalwork, in both fine and fashion jewelry, has been produced in Italy. “ Fashion Jewellery: Made in Italy,” by Deanna Farneti Cera, takes you through the last 100 years of fashion jewlery by designers such as Giuliano Fratti, Emma Caimi Pellini, Sharra Pagano, Ugo Correani, Coppola e Toppo, Luciana de Reutern, Canesi, and Ornella -- including later the entrants,  Armani, Versace, Ferré, and later on, Moschino and Prada.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, and well into the year 2000 new designers added their flourish, including Carlo Zini, Angela Caputi, Maria Calderara, Giorgio Vigna, Fabio Cammarata, Emilio Cressoni, Robert Tomas, Irene Moret, and Silvia Beccaria, among others.

Famous houses that the jewelry was made for include: Bijoux Bozart, Biki, Carlo Zini, Chanel, Chloé, Coppla E Toppo, Edoardo Saronni, Emilio Pucci, Etro, Fiorucci, Flos Ad Florem, Gianfranco Ferré, Giorgio Armani, Giuliano Fratti, Irene Galitzine, Karl Lagerfeld, Luciana De Reutern, Marni, Missoni, Misterfox, Moschino, Prada, Roberto Capucci, Schiaparelli, Sharra Pagano, Ugo Correani, Unger, Valentino, Versace.

(Antique Collectors Club Dist, 2013)

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We love to see contemporary interpretations of jewelry concepts. Using both new and ancient materials, contemporary designers stretch their visions to extremes -- extreme simplicity, extreme high concept, extreme essence -- all play a beautiful contrast the the complex forms of our bodies. “Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective,” edited by Damian Skinner, is a joint project by the Art Jewelry Forum and Lark Jewelry & Beading.

The book provides a concise history and cultural context, along with beautiful illustrations of an amazing range of work. Featuring notable contributors from around the world, it offers fascinating discussions on creating, collecting, exhibiting, and selling, as well as individual essays that present a global perspective on the art over the past 30 to 40 years.

(Lark Crafts, 2013)

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To celebrate Damiani’s ninetieth anniversary, “Damiani: Alchemy of Desire,” by Cristina Morozzi, with contributions by Sophia, showcases the company’s tradition of creative and beautifully crafted Italian jewelry. Founded in 1924 by Enrico Grassi Damiani, personal jeweler to Italian nobility, the jeweler still outfits many highly visible celebrities around the world today. Gorgeous photographs will begin to show you the quality of its products, materials and exclusive design. But, of course, we are now, more than ever tempted to see the real things.

(Rizzoli, 2014)

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“Eclat: The Masters of New Jewelry Design,” by Carlos Pastor Climent (Compiler), Cristian Campos (Editor), is a marvelous little collection of photos and interviews some of the most important jewelry designers of recent times.

(Promopress, 2014)

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If you are inspired to make some of your own jewelry dreams come to life, you can learn how, with “Metalsmithing for Jewelry Makers: Traditional and Contemporary Techniques for Inspirational Results,” by Jinks McGrath. You don’t have to be a pro, you just need the right instruction, a little time, and a bit of patience.

Perfect for home crafters, students, serious amateurs, and professional jewelry designers alike, this book gives you smart, well-laid out information about metalsmithing techniques and materials, with over 700 photos to show you the way and to suggest beautiful results.

(Barron’s Educational Series, 2013)

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Gilding is an ancient craft, putting the Midas touch on just about anything and turning it into a treasure. “Gilding Crafts: Glorious effects with gold and silver in over 40 step-by-step ideas and projects,” by Liz Wagstaff, offers a comprehensive practical course on gilding with gold, silver and metals. But the book goes beyond the traditional craft, to present super-creative contemporary ideas for using metal leaf, liquid, powders and pastes. Over 300 photographs will show you how. 

(Lorenz Books, 2013)

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Throughout history, gold has been the metal we’ve most valued… not that it is the most expensive, but that, for many reasons, it is the metal we have most treasured. “Gold: The Race for the World's Most Seductive Metal,” by Matthew Hart, takes us on the never-ending quest to find more.

From earliest civilizations and ancient times, to the famous Gold Rush, to today’s financial market soars and dives, gold has brought stability, joy, and peace of mind. The book reads like a thriller, as Hart ushers us through conquest, murder, and international mayhem. He brings us to today, with the swift emergence of China as the world’s new gold titan.

Matthew Hart is an award-winning writer and journalist, whose  work has appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, Granta, the London Times, The Financial Post Magazine,  60 Minutes, CNN, and the National Geographic Channel. Publishers Weekly calls Hart’s writing “polished and fiery.”

(Simon & Schuster, 2013)

Photo: Courtesy of Voyageur Press.

Finally, metal music is celebrated in “The Art of Metal: Five Decades of Heavy Metal Album Covers, Posters, T-Shirts, and More (Zenith Graphic Histories) ” by Malcolm Dome, Martin Popoff, with Foreword by Lemmy.

The imagery of heavy metal music is as intrinsic to the total metal experience as the sounds. This book looks at the history of the art, as it has evolved since it began in the 1960’s.

Renowned music journalist Malcolm Dome offers a beautifully presented chronological collection of the colorful, outlandish, and sophisticated album covers, posters, T-shirts, with more than 400 gorgeously reproduced works of art, commentary, quotes, fashion and tatoos, and more. It spotlights the metal genre’s most influential artists and photographers.

(Voyageur Press, 2013)

Read about Beautiful Metal all this week, as it relates to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.

Get busy and enter the BN Competitions, Our theme this week is Beautiful Metal. Send in your images and ideas. Deadline is 10.27.13.