Charon Kransen, the preeminent curator of avant garde European, Asian and American studio jewelry, brings to Patina Gallery a selection of Soul Stirring Works by the most innovative and uncompromising jewelry artists working today. Ever seeking the freshest and most distinctive works, Kransen travels the world to discover emerging artists and meet with the most established artists in the field.
Charon Kransen established Charon Kransen Arts in New York City in 1993, to promote exciting jewelry from around the world. This is Kransen’s third Patina Gallery exhibition and it promises to be as refreshing and aesthetically innovative as those in the past.
The list of artists participating in this exhibit includes Brigitte Bezold, Anamarie de Corte, Babette von Dohnanyi, Reiko Ishiyama, Mette Jensen, Vicki Mason, Renate Scmid and Jung-Gyu Yi. A complete list is attached.
Kransen’s view of studio jewelry surges beyond traditional norms of adornment. “I always think, if I can't get excited anymore, having seen a lot of jewelry in my 40 years of professional life, how can I communicate excitement to customers. Perceptions of value, beauty, aesthetics and content, change by exposure and result in a different kind of understanding and appreciation."
There is an impatience about Kransen. He is emphatic about changed perceptions of value and beauty. Appropriate to our times and shifting identities in the 21st Century, Kransen understands that jewelry, itself, has acquired a new identity, as a reflection of the wearer’s depth and character rather than income and status. Alternative materials like steel, wool felt, enamel and bone often usurp gold and diamonds because the statement made by those materials is usually standardized and bland, lacking a meaningful statement.
Since the mid-twentieth century, the dialogue within the field of studio jewelry has been identical to the dialogue around all fine art. Largely because of the efforts of Charon Kransen and galleries like Patina, and the artists they represent, jewelry has emerged as an art form as legitimate as non-precious sculpture and 2 dimensional art. Studio artists embrace the challenge of presenting conceptually developed works within a wearable context.
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