ON-LINE EXHIBITION
Get to know our artists from the comfort of your quarantine.
The gallery has been closed for over a month now due to covid 19... we are at home, our two boys are schooling at home and we miss all of our dear clients... mostly, we hope that all of you take care and stay healthy and safe however long this takes.
Our visiting clients often mention how they love to delve into the drawers underneath our upper display cases, to see the vast collection of objects and jewelry that we have assembled ... some new, other pieces from various stages of almost 20 years of Ornamentum Gallery. While we are stuck at home together all day every day, we are reminded of the importance of family working together, and our relationships with our artists and clients is an extention of our family.
When we realized that the events hitting all of us wouldn't just be a momentary blip, we put the call out to our artists to put together an on-line exhibition... a selection of works with no overall theme, and vastly different personalities that function together because of their individual strengths. Some of the works were selected as they are poignant in theme to the events of the day, Quarantine by Dutch duo Idiots, or the WWI / WW3 breastplate by Iris Eichenberg and the silver vessel The Big Instability by Gerd Rothmann. Other works like Karl Fritsch’s Smiley Face ring simply add cheer at a time when it is needed and Alexander Blank's Weather Forecast brooches promise sunny days ahead. Others works were chosen as strong examples of a particular artist’s oeuvre, and several of the new works had been slated for exhibition in this year's iteration of the prestigious Schmuck (Jewelry) exhibition in Munich, which was cancelled only days before it was due to open.
Finally, in true artist fashion, Philip Sajet's necklace The Ringgame, was finished just in time to send us photos about 3 hours before the exhibition went live
Those who have followed Ornamentum over the years, will recognise many or even all of the names. A number of the works are new, brought to completion specifically for the exhibition, others are "classics" suggested by the artists as good picks for the show. As many of our supporters mainly see us at fairs and follow our various exhibitions, this is a great opportunity for them to familiarize themselves with artists and works that may have flown under their radar. Of course those who do regularly visit us in the gallery may also recognize the names of Aaron Decker who we have exhibited for several years, and Valerie James, both of whom began as our interns while they were still students and are now making their place in the annals of contemporary jewelry.
If you are looking for something a bit less avant-garde, perhaps for a gift or for easy every day wear, don't forget to browse the Ornamentum Editions page, where you'll find strong but more accessible designs by international studio jewelers.
All featured works are available. Please send us an email for more information. During these days especially, the artists and their galleries appreciate your support.
We hope this exhibition brings you joy and look forward to when we can greet you again in person.
Laura, Stefan + Kai and Lukas