Jewellery is Art – I’m not talking about cheap, mass-produced or merely assembled pieces, but jewellery that is well crafted, well designed and certainly not churned out in thousands.
Talking to designers you’ll find that most of them find inspiration in Architecture, Sculpture and Paintings. German company KREUCHAUFF take it a step further and quite literally turn paintings into jewellery.
Passionate about art , in their PAINTING +STRUCTURE collection, delicate materials such as 24K gold leaf, 925 silver Leaf and art pigments are used to create jewellery that is robust enough for everyday wear without sacrificing the appearance of fragility that is the essential character of these pieces.
Graphic arts and special processing techniques are employed to produce durable, yet light, coloured sheets that offer a smooth, sealed surface that is resistant to the elements while still gentle to the touch. There is a range of paintings to choose, from more subtle patterns and colours to truly bold statement pieces.
Bangles, chains, rings and pins are individually cut from these sheets, shaped by hand – each with its own special design and coloration. So every single piece is a one off.
Clasps forged from 925 silver or Vermeils are used as support for stud earrings, pins and rings, or as end points on bangles.
This is jewellery for the bold, the lovers of colour, the admirers of art – just don’t try this as home and keep scissors and knives away from your Picassos and Jackson Pollocks!
DEEP SPACE
The architectural concept of depth, space and line, is the basis for their DEEP SPACE collection. Smooth opaque surfaces embedded in rectangular “bowls” in 925 Silver meet transparent spaces that reveal interesting shades of gold and copper when the light hits them.
All contrasted by what appears to be the colour and texture of concrete. Some pieces have diamonds incorporated that seem to be floating in thin air, which adds another exciting and sparkling dimension.
KREUCHAUFF’s founders Juergen Kreuchauff and Marion Stolte
To find out more about this exciting Designer duo we had a little chat:
What inspired you to become jewellery designers?
We wanted to turn Paintings and Objects into a small, wearable format that inspires communication. Jewellery should become a medium that evokes and appeals to feelings and moods
Where do you draw inspiration from?
The inspiration and impulse behind every piece is a little story, a brief encounter, a chance, a strong visual impression. We also draw inspiration from other disciplines such as Music, Painting, Philosophy and Architecture.
How would you describe your own work?
Always on the look-out for something new, trying to find and develop entirely new techniques through a playful approach to a variety of materials. The main idea behind our work is to combine industrial technology and craftsmanship with an artistic input.
If you could choose a famous person (alive or dead), who would you love to design a piece of jewellery for? What would it be?
David Bowie – a multimedia brooch!
If you hadn’t become a jewellery designer/maker, which other career would you have chosen?
Painter or novelist.
What is your favourite piece of jewellery and why?
Every piece of jewellery that evokes a moment of fascination, insight and emotion.
What are your plans for the future?
We want to develop the transformation of art, structures and 3-dimenstionality further and further.
And passionate as they are about Art and jewellery, they will certainly keep pushing the boundaries. Kreuchauff have just finished their latest collection, something ”entirely new” I am told, that will be presented to lovers of jewellery with a difference in the very near future. Watch this space!
Kreuchauff jewellery is currently available at Rockcandy Gallery www.rockcandygallery.com
