Outside Inspiration: Unexpected Movement in Art Jewelry

Steven Kolodny is one of my favorite jewelry artists, not just because his work is mind-blowing and gorgeous, but because his compositions almost always give me pause. Granted, I analyze composition constantly (thanks in large part to a very persistent art teacher that required 5 compositionally aware quick sketches for EVERY day of the two semesters I had class with him,) but even if you don’t, there is so much going on in his little beauties that you’re bound to spend time with his work if you have any appreciation for jewelry art at all.

This piece is a masterful. Pendants, because they hang at the bottom of a chain or cord, usually give some sense of downward movement. This piece, however, definitely imparts a sense of floating upwards, which seems odd if you look at the individual elements. Can you identify how these components work together to give that sense of upward movement?

Normally, anything that is arrow-like would push the eye and visual movement in the direction the arrow shapes are pointing. We have four dominant arrow shapes–the two stones, the bail, and the V shaped base–as well as a structure that is heavier towards the bottom; but still, the visual movement is up. There are a few reasons for this. First, the curvy lines with the diamond tips are like steam or reaching vines and are also somewhat arrow-like, so they counter the larger arrows a bit. Then the stones, attached to the center line only by a small point or single sidee, do not sit on the bottom of the structure or even touch the base V shape on any side. It’s as if they detached from its confines, and are rising out of the cup like space. Finally, the V shape has opposing arrow shapes in its long,tapered sides, redirecting us upward as well. So even though there is an overall sense of upward movement, the visual cues should have your eye wandering down and up, covering the entire pendant. You see and take in every element in the piece. What a great composition.

There is a ton of eye candy to see on his site today. Be sure you don’t have a lot to do in the very near future, as you might get lost for a while in Steven’s work. However, I could not find my favorite pieces of his online, but they are in print. So if you do not already own the book through which I was first introduced to Steven’s work, put Art Jewelry Today on your wish list. (There are three and they aren’t cheap so if you are going to get just one, go with the first one–lots of Steven Kolodny work in that one!) This book contains stunning work and fantastic discussions about the history of various materials, as well as how they are being used today. And yes, they include polymer!