The Netherlands boasts some fine jewellery schools, but, other than diamond-cutting, there is little historical tradition in jewellery making. Dutch designers have not had to fight entrenched conventions, and as a result they have been remarkably free to experiment.
“Collect”, an international fair for contemporary objects, which opens in London will show a number of artists who explore concepts of preciousness, value and beauty by subverting traditional materials and techniques. Some are German, Swiss and British, as well as Dutch. Otto Künzli famously made a rubber bracelet concealing a gold ball inside. Karl Fritsch ground gemstones into powder and reassembled them with glue. He is now experimenting with drilling holes in the gems and knotting them together in varying configurations. Gijs Bakker, co-founder of Droog, a design company, combines gemstones with costume pieces. Ulrich Reithofer combines gold and glass shards in a necklace.
Using unconventional materials is another way of questioning“value”. Dorothea Prühl uses wood to create huge neckpieces. Christoph Zellweger covers animal bones with flesh-coloured flock. Lisa Walker assembles three-dimensional collages using found plastic pieces and assembles them into wearable sculpture. Sebastian Buescher pins together eclectic combinations of materials he gathers outdoors.