Dedicated to Rebels, Rockers and Raconteurs
There is good reason why jewelry design firms such as Cartier, Tiffany, Bulgari, Buccelati and a few others are legendary, and the reason certainly is not because they were ordinary in their formative years. These firms were born of artists with a vision. A vision for the extraordinary. Some of these firms have held true to their visionary leaders, some have not. More on this later.
I read an article the other day about Michelle Obama’s new favorite jewelry designer, Tom Binns. He photocopies pictures of jewelry from fashion magazines and laminates them and puts them together with safety pins – let’s hear it for craftsmanship and the fine art of design.
Back in 1994, I had the opportunity to exhibit my work for the first time on an international basis at the New York International Jewelry Show. (If you read a little of my history, you’ll find out the show went pretty well for me.) I was standing somewhere on the show floor, kind of musing about my work and where it was heading when I had a sort of vision. I saw myself in a meadow by a ‘fork in the road’; I was walking a path followed by a few individual sheep and I also saw a much larger group of sheep being led by a single sheep off into the darkness. Some of the sheep in the herd were looking back towards me and my small group of individuals as if they were hesitating about where they were headed. I have never forgotten that image.
I am still not sure whether I chose that path or it chose me.
Suffice it to say that an artist must have a vision, and that it must be a vision true to themselves. This necessitates walking to the beat of their own drum, singing with their own voice. This is a sure-fire formula for being and becoming autonomous. All you individuals out there know what I am talking about here.
I had a friend in the jewelry exhibiting world back in the 90’s, his name is Karl Benz. He lives in Japan, and in my opinion he was and is one of the most innovative and skilled jewelry artists I have met. I remember him telling me that we suffer for our art. Of course, he is right. This passion both imprisons and liberates me at the same time – never a dull moment.
Paths in life are an interesting thing. There is no ‘right’ path or ‘wrong’ path per se, but there is a single path suitable for each and every one of us. You will know if you are on your suitable path by asking a simple question – Am I on a life invigorating journey?
So back to the jewelry artist. I take my work personally – oh I understand I am not an island, that having a team to work with is invaluable, that the community and friends around me are without question essential, that practical aspects of business and marketing are a must – but still, I am my work and my work is me. And try as hard as I may to separate the product from the producer, I cannot, nor in all honesty do I want to. Although I often realize it would be far simpler.
To “give them what they have been taught to want”, to set up a production line of three stone rings or journey pendants, or whatever the hell the next trend is, but by my tone I’m sure you can tell I have nothing but disdain for this notion.
So here I am, 30 years down the road wishing now for what I wished for then, to make a better piece of jewelry than the one I just completed.
Artists don’t follow trends, they liberate people from them.
-Stay tuned from Austin, TX-
http://www.zoltandavid.com/
There is good reason why jewelry design firms such as Cartier, Tiffany, Bulgari, Buccelati and a few others are legendary, and the reason certainly is not because they were ordinary in their formative years. These firms were born of artists with a vision. A vision for the extraordinary. Some of these firms have held true to their visionary leaders, some have not. More on this later.
I read an article the other day about Michelle Obama’s new favorite jewelry designer, Tom Binns. He photocopies pictures of jewelry from fashion magazines and laminates them and puts them together with safety pins – let’s hear it for craftsmanship and the fine art of design.
Back in 1994, I had the opportunity to exhibit my work for the first time on an international basis at the New York International Jewelry Show. (If you read a little of my history, you’ll find out the show went pretty well for me.) I was standing somewhere on the show floor, kind of musing about my work and where it was heading when I had a sort of vision. I saw myself in a meadow by a ‘fork in the road’; I was walking a path followed by a few individual sheep and I also saw a much larger group of sheep being led by a single sheep off into the darkness. Some of the sheep in the herd were looking back towards me and my small group of individuals as if they were hesitating about where they were headed. I have never forgotten that image.
I am still not sure whether I chose that path or it chose me.
Suffice it to say that an artist must have a vision, and that it must be a vision true to themselves. This necessitates walking to the beat of their own drum, singing with their own voice. This is a sure-fire formula for being and becoming autonomous. All you individuals out there know what I am talking about here.
I had a friend in the jewelry exhibiting world back in the 90’s, his name is Karl Benz. He lives in Japan, and in my opinion he was and is one of the most innovative and skilled jewelry artists I have met. I remember him telling me that we suffer for our art. Of course, he is right. This passion both imprisons and liberates me at the same time – never a dull moment.
Paths in life are an interesting thing. There is no ‘right’ path or ‘wrong’ path per se, but there is a single path suitable for each and every one of us. You will know if you are on your suitable path by asking a simple question – Am I on a life invigorating journey?
So back to the jewelry artist. I take my work personally – oh I understand I am not an island, that having a team to work with is invaluable, that the community and friends around me are without question essential, that practical aspects of business and marketing are a must – but still, I am my work and my work is me. And try as hard as I may to separate the product from the producer, I cannot, nor in all honesty do I want to. Although I often realize it would be far simpler.
To “give them what they have been taught to want”, to set up a production line of three stone rings or journey pendants, or whatever the hell the next trend is, but by my tone I’m sure you can tell I have nothing but disdain for this notion.
So here I am, 30 years down the road wishing now for what I wished for then, to make a better piece of jewelry than the one I just completed.
Artists don’t follow trends, they liberate people from them.
-Stay tuned from Austin, TX-
http://www.zoltandavid.com/
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