Joined: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:22 pm Posts: 21602 Location: San Francisco
Jewels by JAR November 20, 2013–March 9, 2014
Exhibition Location: Lila Acheson Wallace Wing, The Helen and Milton Kimmelman Gallery, Gallery 913 Press Preview: Monday, November 18, 10 a.m. –noon
Quote:
Jewels by JAR at The Metropolitan Museum of Art will feature more than 300 works by one of the most acclaimed jewelry designers of the last 35 years, Joel A. Rosenthal, who works in Paris under the name JAR. The exhibition will be the first retrospective of his work in America; the only other major exhibition of Rosenthal’s work was held in 2002 at Somerset House in London.
The exhibition is made possible by Phaidon Press Limited, Nancy and Howard Marks, and The Ronald and Jo Carole Lauder Foundation.
Born in New York and educated at Harvard, Rosenthal moved to Paris soon after his graduation in 1966 and began to experiment with jewelry making. JAR opened in 1978 on the Place Vendôme—the same space he occupies today. Very early in his career, Rosenthal revealed his superb sense of color, whether in the hue of an exotic violet sapphire, the shimmer of topaz and ruby, or the simple clarity of a perfect diamond. His works quickly became known for their unique design, the quality of their stones, and their remarkable craftsmanship, but above all for their fearless beauty. He is known for his pavé technique—the setting of small stones so close together that they appear as a continuous surface of jewels—and uses subtle gradations of color to create a painterly effect.
The exhibition will be the first devoted to a contemporary artist of gems at the Metropolitan Museum and will feature a selection of JAR’s finest pieces—from jewels in classical flower forms and organic shapes to witty objets d’art—all executed with the most exquisite gem stones including diamonds, sapphires, garnets, topazes, tourmalines, and citrines in an original combination of colors. Rosenthal’s one-of-a-kind creations place him among the ranks of history’s greatest jewelers.
Art scholar Adrian Sassoon writes in his essay for the exhibition’s catalogue: “Rosenthal the artist honors his materials…a unique JAR jewel is intended to make the new owner feel special, to share in the experience of having something of nature transformed.”
Jewels by JAR is organized by Jane Adlin, Associate Curator in the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue, to be published by the Metropolitan Museum and distributed by Yale University Press.
I attended this weekend. I was a bit confused by the display though. The room was dark with only the displays lit. The lighting seemed yellow to me. I thought jewelers show all their jewelry in very white light to make it sparkle and look its best. Were they trying to show it as it would appear in an indoor evening setting? Anyway, it was very crowded and though I don't mind standing back and enjoying the view from between folks right in front of the displays, with this setup I wasn't able to read the handout regarding what each piece's make-up was unless I was pressed close to the glass in front of the display.
I really enjoyed the display on one wall showing all the butterflies, they were very pretty. Some of the much larger earrings I wondered if the original wearer still had their earlobes in their original shape.
Certainly a lot of beautiful stones and handiwork to look at. The rams heads seemed a bit creepy.
All in all a fun day to wander in NY to look at the x-mas windows, lights, and then end the day at the exhibit.
Joined: Fri Dec 15, 2006 10:46 am Posts: 250 Location: Santa Fe/Chicago
Just back from a trip to NYC to see the Jar exhibit. Thought it was pretty mind blowing. Got to see it with good friends and frequent Spectrum award winners Gregore and Jennifer Morin. Naomi Sarna joined us for a repeat visit. We bumped into a number of other industry professionals including the crew from Hemmerle. So great to see it with such professionals and peer into the amazing world of JAR's aesthetic and fabulous fabrication.
TIPS Yes the room is dark but thought it worked. Many folks had small flashlights and some form of magnification to examine the fabrication.
Arriving just as the museum opened even on a Saturday we found ourselves almost alone in the room. Room started to get crowded around 11.
I thought a second visit might have been overkill, but not all all. The first visit was consumed with the astonishment of "how did he do that", "what did he use". Second visit was a step back to just enjoy and not over think it.
If you're from out of town you can join the museum for $60. Well worth it for at least one in your party to join. Access to members dining room. Civilized way to take a break and food was quite good. And the big bonus was 20% off the JAR I & II books. We saved $280 per set. I would join at the gift shop behind the exhibit, easier to get your 20% off the books and less crowded. They will deduct the amount you already paid to get in.
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