Ron Arad Rocks!

Ron Arad, Hot Ingo, 2016, Earrings, silver & red laser sintered polyamide, edition of 100

24 February - 8 April 2016 Louisa Guinness Gallery will be hosting Ron Arad Rocks!; a solo exhibition of new jewellery by internationally renowned artist, architect and designer Ron Arad. The exhibition will offer unique and editioned works including necklaces, bracelets and earrings made from silicon, laser sintered polyamide, quartz, gold and silver.

 Ron Arad (1951) is among the most respected and influential designers working today, he is celebrated for his fluid, curvaceous style, crafting deceptively simple, highly skilled pieces from materials such as aluminium, bronze and steel. Arad's work cannot be easily categorized as he is constantly reinventing the everyday object, transforming it into something daring, witty and provocative. Bookshelves wind their way up walls, tables curve up corners, chairs unravel like ribbon, all retaining their essential function while questioning their perceived limitations. His penchant for playful but daring designs is also reflected in Ron's jewelry work. 
 
Far from the precious stones the title suggests, Arad's Rocks series are made from solid silicon. Though the silicon is soft and pliable to the touch, each piece appears heavy and dangerously jagged; the effect is of bare shards of glass hanging a breath from the wearer's skin.  Not until the viewer has the piece in their hands are they able to detect Arad's sophisticated manipulation of silicon. Far from smashing and threading glass, he chips away at a plain of prepared silicon, shaving each fragment off. 

NAJA, FREE HAND, 2015
vermeil with amethyst, smoky, rutilated or quartz lens

The impression of opaque or colored glass is created by dropping lengths of colored or graphically patterned silk into the silicon, adding an ingenious layer to the optical illusion. Sculpted by the hands of the maker each work is unique varying in shape, color and form.
 
The Hot Ingo earrings and Hot Ingo Necklace derive from Arad's early experimentation with laser sintered polyamide and rapid prototyping in Not made by hand not made in China launched in Milan over a decade ago. One step in the artist's long exploration of what computers and machines are able to achieve, the necklace and earrings take their name and inspiration from Arad's long standing friend and collaborator Ingo Maurer.
 
"I have always been inspired by Ron's work," says Guinness."I am astonished by his consistent ability to solve practical problems with simplicity, intelligence and aesthetic panache. Take Naja not only beautiful and wearable but an ingenious solution to the middle aged drama of short sightedness."
 
Naja, the final series, is a magnifying glass pendant made of a solid quartz lens, surrounded by a serpentine coil of silver or vermeil. The work is named after the distinctive "be-spectacled" markings on the hood of a Naja cobra. Not only a beautiful object, artwork and jewel, with a typically Aradian twist it can also be used to decipher a cocktail menu.

Ron Arad Rocks: A Selection of New Jewellery on view 24 February - 8 April 2016 at the Louisa Guinness Gallery
FIRST FLOOR, 45 CONDUIT STREET LONDON W1S 2YN


Images COPYRIGHT © 2016 LOUISA GUINNESS GALLERY

GIA to Host "Dreams of Diamonds" Exhibit

dreamsofdiamonds

The “Dreams of Diamonds” exhibit will be on view at the Gemological Institute of America from April 29 to May 11. It will feature 25 diamond pieces, including a pair of boots set with 1,527 carats of diamonds and a 50.05-carat flawless D-color diamond. More than 4,000 carats of diamonds will be on display. The exhibit coincides with a debut of a book on these stunning and unique pieces.
The book was put together by British photography and design team Alastair Laidlaw and Christine Marsden. It is a massive oversized ‘Super Book’ that features full print size images and weighs more than 30 pounds. The book took six years to complete, featuring the diamonds and jewelry in unusual, “dream-like” settings. 
The items featured in the book were provided by 12 of the world’s best-known diamantaires and designers. Seven of them: Adler Joailliers, Chatila, Chow Tai Fook, Diacore, Mouawad, and Munnu The Gem Palace, are loaning pieces for the exhibit at GIA. 
Appointments are necessary to see this exhibit. Head to GIA’s website for details.