Don't Touch showcases the latest works from Rothmann's ongoing exploration of the intimate, direct relationship between jewelry and the skin of the wearer spanning over half a century.
Almost 25 years ago, Ornamentum founders Laura and Stefan had yet to map out their future direction. After design studies in Germany, they landed in Providence for two years, while they searched for a place to lay down roots. Hudson, NY was in their sights but not yet decided.
During this time the RISD Museum hosted the exhibition A View By Two (2001), and a number of the world's most important contemporary jewelry figures were present for the occasion.
Laura and Stefan became acquainted with Gerd Rothmann, an artist they had until then only known from museum exhibitions, and soon after they began a conversation with the artist to commission their wedding bands with each other's fingerprints.
Shortly thereafter the couple moved to Hudson and founded Ornamentum in 2002. Although the gallery was in a very rough DIY beginning stage, Rothmann entrusted the gallery with one of his signature fingerprint necklaces to exhibit. In that first season, Laura and Stefan became acquainted with the collector Donna Schneier, who acquired and later donated the necklace to the NY Metropolitan Museum. This marked a pivotal moment for the gallery, and began the rapid trajectory to exhibiting and placing works with important public and private collections around the globe. Rothmann, now 84, has been working closely with Ornamentum every step of the way, with prominent exhibitions at the gallery, the Design /Miami fairs in Miami Beach and Basel, Switzerland and numerous subsequent museum acquisitions.
Don't Touch showcases the latest works from Rothmann's ongoing exploration of the intimate, direct relationship between jewelry and the skin of the wearer spanning over half a century. Silver cuffs and breastplates, cast with the impressions of skin are beset with stones set upon the skin like freckles, in subtle constellations. Playing with Text has also been an ongoing theme in Rothmann's oeuvre, his Primavera pendants are a playful ode to the season of bloom.
Rothmann's work is featured in countless collections worldwide, including the MFA Boston, MFA Houston, Dallas Museum of Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the MET, Victoria & Albert Museum, Munich Design Museum and many many more. His work can be found in prestigious private collections throughout the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.
In addition to Rothmann's newest works, numerous classics from the artist's personal collection will also be exhibited.
