New York's own branch of the Smithsonian, The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, has put together a stunning show centered on the design history of jewelry artists Van Cleef & Arpels. The exhibition, titled 'Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels', follows the history of the company from it's first known objet d'art to it's present day renown for fabulous jewelry and precious accessories.
Designed by Patrick Jouin, the exhibit incorporates the history of the Carnegie Mansion (the museum's location) and uses that to present the objects in a manner that fits the space. In a video he explains that he wanted to "reconnect the design of the exhibition with the history of the building, because Van Cleef & Arpels has a long history". He and his partner Sanjit Manku of Jouin Manku Studio encased many of the pieces in glass bubbles that allow museum visitors to get even closer and see more of the pieces than they would have in flat cases.
The show moves through Van Cleef & Arpels beginnings in Paris, and their innovative approach to jewels and personal objects such as necessaires, snuff boxes, and jewelry. Sketchbooks show the elaborate process involved in creating special commissions that reflect the company's ideals and the client's wishes. Van Cleef & Arpels are best known for their Mystery Setting technique: stones placed so that the setting is invisible and all that is seen is the color and beauty of the stones.
They are also known for transformative jewelry: bracelets that zip into necklaces and pins that dismantle into pendants and brooches. A passe-partout necklace transforms into a bracelet, and can also be worn as a belt. This particular piece trickled down to the public in the 70's- the thin, gold-metal disco belt frequently worn with designer jeans was inspired by a Van Cleef & Arpels piece.
Made for celebrities and bold faced names such as Eva Peron, Marlene Dietrich, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and Maria Callas (to name a few), the pieces represent a rich history of artistic collaboration between client and jeweler. The exhibit includes books of sketches in guache of planned commissions.
Set in Style: The Jewelry of Van Cleef & Arpels will open to the public on February 18th and remain at the Cooper-Hewitt Museum until June 5th, 2011. There is a catalog available with essays from Sarah Coffin and Suzy Menkes and lavishly illustrated with photographs of the jewelry. For hours and information go to www.cooperhewitt.org
Comments