David Bielander, Dung Beetle, brooch, 2007, steel spoon, gold
The Bielander Crown plays a vital role in MAD’s contemporary jewelry collection as our collection dates to the midcentury, when studio and contemporary jewelry artists were rejecting traditional materials and vying for the acceptance of quotidian ones. Beilander’s Crown brings the collection full circle – it is convincing as a cardboard object -- cardboard today having gained the acceptance as a legitimate material in contemporary jewelry -- but in fact it is gold. It is an indication of how far the field has come in concept, materials, and in skill. Bielander so masterfully executed the crown, visitors can’t believe it’s not cardboard!
Barbara Paris Gifford
Assistant Curator, Museum of Arts & Design
Also joining the collection is the Dung Beetle, a brooch whose form was borne of a steel spoon, realized through brilliantly simple cutting and forming of the material.