ÉCLAT INTERNATIONAL - Holiday 2015 Issue

Holiday 2015 $6.95

A Lifestyle Magazine

Chicago Spotlight Van Gogh and Munch Fall Fashion

New Collection Vortice. Birth

of an iconic

Design

N E W Y O R K B O U T I Q U E , 8 2 4 M A D I S O N AV E N U E , N E W Y O R K , N Y, ( 2 1 2 ) 4 3 9 - 4 2 2 0 BAL HARBOUR BOUTIQUE, 9700 COLLINS AVENUE, BAL HARBOUR, FL, (305) 865-8765

www•degrisogono•com A L S O AVA I L A B L E AT: LONDON JEWELERS 2046 NORTHERN BLVD MANHASSET, NY (516) 627-7475

WILLIAM BARTHMAN 1118 KINGS HIGHWAY BROOKLYN, NY (718) 375-1818

EAST COAST SUNNY ISLE 16810 COLLINS AVENUE SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL (305) 947-8883

A RICA H ILTON I FLOW LIKE WATER paintings 29 October 2015 - 9 January 2016

“I Flow Like Water - Gold” oil, gesso & recycled plastic on canvas, 36 x 70 in (91 x 178 cm)

“Unsui” which means cloud/water is derived from a Chinese poem “to drift like clouds, to flow like water.”

Clouds attach to nothing, and so drift freely across the sky. Water follows its course naturally.

It travels down hills and slips into places where other things cannot go.

It does not insist on any particluar form, it takes the shape of its captor, whether a glass or an ocean. To be “unsui” is to be non-resistant...to flow like water...” ~ Arica Hilton

Qu Art

Contemporary and modern sculpture

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Theory of Forms September 18 - December 19, 2015

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New Collection

New RetRo. the New Shape

N E W Y O R K B O U T I Q U E , 8 2 4 M A D I S O N AV E N U E , N E W Y O R K , N Y, ( 2 1 2 ) 4 3 9 - 4 2 2 0 BAL HARBOUR BOUTIQUE, 9700 COLLINS AVENUE, BAL HARBOUR, FL, (305) 865-8765

www•degrisogono•com A L S O AVA I L A B L E AT: LONDON JEWELERS 2046 NORTHERN BLVD MANHASSET, NY (516) 627-7475

WILLIAM BARTHMAN 1118 KINGS HIGHWAY BROOKLYN, NY (718) 375-1818

EAST COAST SUNNY ISLE 16810 COLLINS AVENUE SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL (305) 947-8883

of

time

A Lifestyle Magazine

Holiday 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover: Katherine Glover, The Wave is Continuous, 2015 Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis / duanereedgallery.com

CHICAGO SPOTLIGHT SOFA Chicago 24

Showcase 20

Fall Fashion 37

Tammy Kohl 28

Van Gogh | Munch in Amsterdam 34

Artspace 8 26

Arica Hilton 40

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Jeffrey Breslow 30

Sabine Danze: Ideas Dance 42

Hugo Anderson 45

Creating the Perfect Piece 48

ÉCLAT INTERNATIONAL is published bi-monthly by Kalbe Associates, Inc., 257 Adams Lane, Hewlett, NY 11557. For postal requirements, this is considered the November/December issue.

Periodicals postage paid at Hewlett, New York, and at additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ÉCLAT INTERNATIONAL at 257 Adams Lane, Hewlett, NY 11557

Matkatamiba 19” x 19” x 22” H 32lbs Limestone and Chert Boulder, Granite Stones, Painted Steel Tubing

A New Contemporary Art Gallery opened in Chicago’s vibrant West Loop neighborhood. Currently exhibiting the nature photography of Laurel Feldman & the steel and stone sculptures of Jeffrey Breslow.

1015 West Fulton Market | Chicago, IL 60607 | 312.526.3700 | jeffreybreslow.com

sculpture objects functional art and design November 6–8 Opening Night, November 5 Navy Pier

Lino Tagliapietra, Schantz Galleries

sofaexpo.com

Underwood Jewelers • Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | The Cloister • Sea Island, GA | Redfern Jewelers • St. Simons Island, GA | Exclusive Jewels Gallery • Boston, MA daofournier.com

MODERN & CONTEMPORARY

Ruth Weisberg

Waterbourne, 1973

Original Lithograph

42 1/8 x 30 1/8 inches

PAINTINGS DRAWINGS PRINTS & SCULPTURE

Jordi Alcaraz Karel Appel Hans Burkhardt Alexander Calder Marc Chagall George Condo Willem De Kooning Max Ernst Claire Falkenstein Sam Francis

Gunther Gerzso Arshile Gorky Patrick Graham George Grosz David Hockney Hundertwasser Jasper Johns Edward Kienholz Kathy Kollwitz Roy Lichtenstein

Man Ray Roberto Matta Joan Miro Henry Moore Reuben Nakian Pablo Picasso Alfredo Ramos Martinez Robert Rauschenberg Pierre-Auguste Renoir Bruce Richards

Diego Rivera Ed Ruscha Ben Shahn Rufino Tamayo Mark Tobey Andy Warhol Ruth Weisberg Joel-Peter Witkin Jerome Witkin Francisco Zu単iga

JACK RUTBERG FINE ARTS

357 North La Brea Avenue

Los Angeles, California 90036

Telephone (323) 938-5222

www.jackrutbergfinearts.com

The

William&Joseph

A Lifestyle Magazine

Gallery

Nov/Dec 2015

Santa Fe thewilliamandjosephgallery.com

CARLENE FRANCES

PUBLISHER

Bertram Kalisher ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER t 505.982.9404 Richard Kalisher EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Nancy K. Siskind

FASHION EDITOR

Manon Crespi

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Elysabeth Alfano Hugo Anderson Lynn Biederstadt Reece Fawcett Michael Foster Aria Gannon

ONLINE EDITORS

Pamela Bailey Keiko Makishima Samuel Siskind

The

William&Joseph Gallery &JosephSanta Fe thewilliamandjosephgallery.com

ephgallery.com

t 505.982.9404

ART DIRECTOR

Eric Kalisher

EXECUTIVE OFFICE

Editorial Advertising Circulation 257 Adams Lane Hewlett, NY 11557 Tel: 516-295-2516 Fax: 516-374-5060

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ÉCLAT INTERNATIONAL is owned and published bi-monthly by Kalbe Associates, Inc., 257 Adams Lane, Hewlett, New York 11557. Special permission is required to reprint anything which appears in ÉCLAT INTERNATIONAL. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited manuscripts.

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HOLIDAY 2015 21

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SOFA CHICAGO PREVIEW Now in it’s 22nd year, the art fair dedicated to sculpture, objects, functional art, and design has established itself as one of the year’s must-attend art events

Photo by R25 Productions

S

OFA Chicago returns to Navy Pier’s Festival Hall this November 6-8 for another edition of the art fair, which attracts more than 35,000 collectors, curators, and art patrons. This year, SOFA Chicago will unveil a revamped floorplan created by Chicago architects Cheryl Noel and Ravi Ricker of Wrap Architecture. The re-envisioned design will create a more open and cohesive show layout, allowing visitors to explore the fair in a more engaging way. Changes include a new, centrally located main entrance, as well as moving the popular lecture series to the show floor, making it more accessible and visible. Additional changes include a second café, additional lounges, and a redesigned Partner Pavilion. The new Fair According to SOFA Chicago director Donna Davies, the new

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floorplan by Wrap Architecture “will make the fair experience more engaging for both exhibition and visitors.” Cheryl Noel of Wrap Architecture adds, “The most effective urban contexts contain distinct places within the larger space, corridors with visual interest, and clear paths with fluid circulation. We are applying this approach to the arrangement of SOFA CHICAGO and implementing clear wayfinding strategies to and through the show, in order to create a sense of arrival and place. We believe this new floorplan will capture the spirit of the art and be an expression of the work itself, exploring form and materiality, with the same level of design rigor applied.”

More than 70 galleries will display works by emerging and established artists in ceramics, wood, glass, fiber, jewelry, metal,

(clockwise from top-right) Peter Bremers, Transformation Xi, 2014, cast glass (Habatat Galleries); Liam Flynn, Footed Vessel 90 C15, 2015, fumed oak (courtesy of artist and PHOS ART + DESIGN / Sarah Myerscough, London); Marvin Lipofsky, Series Meisenthal #20, 1997, blown glass (Duane Reed Gallery, St. Louis); Christina Bothwell, Octopus Girl, 2015, cast glass, ceramic, oil paint (Habatat Galleries, Royal Oak, MI)

design, and for the first time painting, photography and works on paper. SOFA CHICAGO 2015 kicks off with an Opening Night Preview on Thursday, November 5, a highly-anticipated event that offers attendees the first chance to explore and acquire featured artwork from exhibiting galleries. This preview is from 5pm – 9pm with the first two hours reserved for VIPs. A relatively recent part of SOFA Chicago is Connect. One of the most unique components of the fair, this design-driven competition features six universities selected to create innovative environments incorporating seating and lighting installations. Connect offers design students, working under the supervision of faculty, the opportunity to exhibit their designs at the expo to an international audience. Spaces allow visitors to

relax and “connect” while learning about each university and their specific design environment. A jury assembled by SOFA reviews all installations and the winning school, announced on opening night, will be awarded a cash prize.

This year, the Corning Museum of Glass from Corning, NY, will once again showcase live glassblowing to attendees at their Hot Glass Roadshow on the SOFA CHICAGO show floor.

Fair-goers will have the opportunity to see first-hand the beauty and artistry of glassblowing. Other parts of the expo include a lecture series and SOFA Selects. The lecture series features discussions by renowned artists, critics, curators, designers and collectors, on a variety of topics. SOFA Selects highlights favorite pieces chosen by noted designers, curators, and critics.

HOLIDAY 2015 25

ARTSPACE 8 ,

an innovative new showcase for art, opens in one of Chicago’s finest shopping centers

by Michael Foster

Fidel Rodriguez is a little anxious. It’s six days until opening night for the biggest gamble of his career, Artspace 8, the latest addition to Chicago’s exploding art scene. Artspace 8 takes up two floors in the illustrious 900 North Michigan Shops building. It’s October, and retail is about to go full throttle into the holiday season. Artspace 8 is at the dead center, where art and commerce intersect. Art openings are a tricky prospect. Despite all of the preparation, you’re never guaranteed a large turnout. And if too many people show up, you have the opposite problem of working an over-crowded room and missing vital opportunities.

The first thing you’ll notice is that Artspace 8 finds a unique equilibrium between the professional culture of the 900 shops and the avant garde atmosphere one typically associates with a trendsetting gallery that feature some of the world’s most talented artists. Once inside, it only takes a moment to feel as if you’ve stumbled into another building altogether. Carl Sandberg once said that Chicago is the city of broad shoulders; it’s a city that does everything on a large scale, from the architecture to the cuisine. This gallery is no exception. The paintings in Artspace 8 are gigantic, bold and impossible to ignore. Even the quieter works on paper makes an impact. “All of our art needs to make a statement, to entice conversation,” Fidel proclaims. “I can always tell if a home is a good home, if it has original artwork that inspires. That’s what I look for when I enter a house for the first time.”

Fidel is also an accomplished painter, which puts him in the unique position of working on both sides of the counter. He knows an artist’s sensibilities and encourages originality. It’s one 26

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of the many paradoxes Fidel enjoys about his current situation.

In the dead center of capitalism-driven Michigan Avenue, he doesn’t want to become too commercial, too predictable. It’s a fine line to walk, but he’s up for the challenge. The art world can be fickle, and even with a prime location, there’s the ever-looming issue of being labeled too mainstream by the art community and losing credibility. This drives Fidel to keep his integrity, and that of the artists he represents, completely intact. “If they [an artist] tells me they’ll paint whatever kinds of paintings I'm looking for, I’ll turn them down. I’m only interested in unique voices. It needs to be a statement piece.” It’s important to Fidel that the gallery gives equal exposure to Chicago artists as well as artists around the world. “We have a collaborative approach to bringing in new artists. We all have our say in the matter, Anne the gallery manager, Rich our salesperson... it’s important that we all offer feedback.”

"There are certain challenges to residing in a retail environment,” Anne Zakaras, the gallery manager, tells me. "You have to abide by the house rules 900 North Michigan has in place.

Many galleries have limited hours. We’re open every day, so right away staffing and event planning can be an issue. We’re learning how to adapt quickly.” The long hours and non-traditional location have also provided plenty of unique opportunities. There are many causal shoppers that suddenly find

themselves in an unexpected environment. Another unique challenge Artspace 8 faces is getting the locals involved and in the shop. Being near several world-class hotels including the Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton, most of the current clientele are globetrotting tourists. Anne is quick to point out you can never tell what kind of customer will make a purchase. Someone on vacation will wander in wearing jean shorts and a ball cap and purchase an expensive painting within minutes. "And yes, we do ship. We’re always getting asked that, especially with the size of the paintings we sell."

There are around two dozen artists represented at Artspace 8, Fidel Rodriguez, Dariusz Labuzek, Bruce Thorn, and Lexygius Calip are all living in Chicago. Internationally, renowned artists such as Yang

Yang originally from China and Troy Henriksen, an American ex-patriot living in Paris, are also on display. Many works sold before the official grand opening.

Artspace 8 is still evolving. “We’re still forming our identity,” Anne offers. “We certainly have a clear vision as to what the gallery needs to be. Now that we’re officially past the soft opening, we’re seeing how our clients help shape that image along with us. For example, most of our paintings are professionally stretched and sometimes framed. But we have some pieces that we simply hang on the wall un-stretched. It feels more intimate and interesting that way, as if our clients are getting a sneak peak at the artist’s studio.”

The origins of the name Artspace 8 comes with hidden large-scale ambition. Fidel preferred to call it an “artspace” as opposed to a gallery, as he felt that designation was far too limiting. As for the number eight, that represents infinity in many cultures, a never-ending circle. In this city, you need to dream big to succeed and take into account all possibilities. Artspace 8 does that in spades.

HOLIDAY 2015 27

A Q&ATAKOHL WITH TAMMY KOHL

THE FOUNDER OF TAKOHL IN CHICAGO’S WEST LOOP DISCUSSES HER PASSION FOR JEWELRY

by Michael Foster

Takohl Chicago City Scape Cuff Links

W

hile visiting her grandmother during her last few days, Tammy Kohl was given a necklace. At a young age, she investigated the craftsmanship of the cherished family heirloom and discovered a trap door that revealed a hidden inscription. Her grandmother engraved words of wisdom that the family often shared.

This was one of the many defining moments that has led designer Tammy Kohl to become one of the most sought out jewelers in the Chicago area.

“It started as a dream to create moments that I was passionate about. Creating treasures that connect and inspire people, to give opportunities to have a similar dynamic with their loved ones.”

Tammy muses. Her patented Takohl Treasure Ring is based on this idea. Fully customizable rings that open up like a locket to reveal a hand engraving. “The Takohl Treasure Ring is my Grandma’s concept brought into the 21st century.”

A seasoned veteran of the industry, Tammy founded her custom design jewelry business, Takohl, in 1987.

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Her gallery store front in located in the West Loop of Chicago, a neighborhood that has undergone major gentrification and urban development since its opening 15 years ago. Her store doubles as an art gallery, complete with expansive windows, which spread from the hardwood floors to the 16-foot ceilings, and exposed brick walls.

Her design process focuses on meeting with clients and understanding their personal style. Her creations are conceived with passion, intuition, and intelligence that capture the emotions and sentiments unique to her clients. Tammy is all about handcrafting a story through jewelry; since it’s something you wear, it’s most personal kind of art you can own.

"When I was four years old, I knew I wanted to be a professional artist of some sort. I always had a sketch book and pencils in my hand.” Tammy proceeds to present her sketchbook of designs, pages filled with illustrations and notes, a book itself which could easily be publishable as a fascinating look behind the scenes. As an innovator, she’s very se-

cretive about her upcoming projects. "I have always been an artist and inventor.

I have four patents and more on the way.

I love creating interesting things and bringing them to life.”

Over a cup of apple cider we sat down in her office for more detailed chat: Nearly three decades is a long time in the jewelry business. What changes have you seen in the industry since you opened Takohl?

When I started in this business, it was a man’s world. After months of frequenting a metal supply place in Chicago, I asked the owner if I could open an account. He looked me in the eyes and stated sternly that only men have accounts. Taken aback, I didn't quite believe him at first...

I gathered my thoughts, offered my best smile and said, “Then I guess I will be the first woman with an account here, right?” He smiled awkwardly, shook his head, and grabbed the forms. Women are now prevalent in the industry. Many designers, CEO's, top sales people are women. A huge difference is that wom-

Takohl Treasure Ring Sunshine open (left) and closed (below)

Sculptural Bliss soft pink morganite in white gold

en are now self-purchasers.

They’ve grown tired of waiting around for a guy to buy something for them. They want unique jewelry that relates to who they are and their sense of style. Women today are more empowered.

How about technology? How has that changed the industry?

Technology has completely changed this industry. Now I can easily design for someone on the other side of the world.

We can video chat, email ideas and drawings, and create CAD files that fully illustrate exactly what is happening. People ship me their old family heirlooms that are outdated and in a few weeks they get new modern pieces that become their favorite things.

I love to encourage my clients to become designers. My new state-of-the-art Treasure Ring Creator [on the web] enables clients to customize their dream ring and personalize it, then see the results on their phone from anywhere in the world.

Powerful.

You’ve also had plenty of celebrity clients.

Helen Hunt engraved her new daughters name on the inside of a Treasure ring.

Terri Hatcher immortalized a great trip to Africa. Renee Zellweger surprised her mom with one for her birthday.

I had the pleasure to meet James Gandolfini at a party in the Hamptons. He befriended me when I felt uncomfortable. I’ve heard that he had a knack for helping people and lifting their spirits up. I got to experience that first hand. The next day he ordered a treasure ring with his son Michael’s name on the inside. He was a very kind man.

How does one keep her creativity and uniqueness in this business? Do you have any sources of inspiration or routines you can fall back on?

I keep the gallery space creative and fresh by showcasing various art collections of different artists on the walls, which I rotate every three to four months. For me it is really inspiring to collaborate with artists in different mediums and design collections that dovetail with the work on the walls. This approach brings my clients back more often to see the next incarnation of the gallery space and to discover new ideas to think about.

Do you work on several pieces at once, or just one at a time?

To be successful in this industry you have to be a professional multi-tasker. We work on multiple projects simultaneously with a stable of seasoned jewelers and craftspeople. One also has to have a sharp memory and a willingness to solve problems easily and effectively.

Tammy offers up a quick tour of her shop before I head out. "I love helping people to develop meaningful jewelry that is sentimental," she says. "We all hold special experiences that really matter to us deep in our souls. It doesn't matter who you are, most people hold something really sacred and honor it. That's what makes us human. By engraving the words and holding them near, it is a wonderful little secret that you can share with someone else.”

Tammy and I wander the gallery admiring her current art presentation, photographs of the band Aerosmith on tour. She then offers up one final story. On August 31, 1997, her along with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, are notified that Princess Diana was just killed in an accident. “We were just spending the day looking at a selection of my jewelry, and then we wept together,” she somberly says. This is only one of countless touching, emotional stories that have passed through her store over many decades, with objects of deep and personal affection she’s created to remember them by.

HOLIDAY 2015 29

JEFFREY BRESLOW

Jeffrey Breslow (right) with his mentor Edward Zagorski

LOVES ALONG A MEANDERING ROAD, PAVED WITH DELIGHT

by Aria Gannon

J

effrey Breslow's story illustrates Robert Frost's poetry, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

Fusing steel and stone to elf-like high school create abstract sculptures, art teacher who artist Jeffrey Breslow's gave Jeffrey his work ignites a converonly A in four sation between human Jeffrey Breslow’s recent years at Niles creativity and the natsculptire (clockwise from Township High ural world. His artisabove): Shinto Falls, Always School.

He recalls tic intention is both in My Heart, Rose Garden never opening a to inspire smiles and Rocks! book in high school invite consideration of and describes himself the boundaries of art as well then as being "unmoas the relationship between tivated and lazy." He surface and density. spent his freshman Aside from his career, year, 1961, at Bradley Jeffrey has spent much of his University learning how to life as an adventure traveler, party and drink beer, so it was no big surprise that Jeffrey was primarily hiking and whitewater flunking out. But around this time the tides were about to turn. rafting, around the world. His trip He embarked on a 90-mile road trip in a borrowed VW Beetle, destinations include New Zealand, during a snowstorm on a road he'd never taken, in a borrowed Bhutan, Tour du Mont Blanc in EuVW Beetle, from Peoria to Champaign, Illinois, to visit some rope, the Grand Canyon, Chile, high school friends who'd been accepted to the University of IlPeru, Alaska, most of the nationlinois (Jeffrey was not). During this visit to U of I, he came upon al parks in the U.S., the entire 500 the newly opened Fine and Applied Arts building and noticed miles of the Camino de Santiago a display in the corridor — the "Three Cut Project" — done by across northern Spain (in 33 days), sophomore industrial design students. A note explained that backpacking the 272 miles of the Long Trail in Vermont (in 20 students started with identical wood blocks and were chaldays, his toughest experience). These travels have had a direct lenged to create something new by making only three saw cuts. impact on his sculptural creations, nearly as much as the proThen, they were to glue the pieces back together and paint the found individuals he's known who inspired Jeffrey's steps in creation. The dozen different solutions were beautiful, and Jefbuilding a life as an inventor and an artist. frey was hooked. The instructor was Ed Zagorski.

Jeffrey's intimate familiarity with hard materials raises an Jeffrey found an office with Ed's name on it, knocked on the unexpected question: Can art that hard and solid with condoor with trepidation (something Ed might call "courage in frontational surfaces still evoke a sense of play and humor? His disguise"), and had no clue what he was going to ask or why he affirmative answer to that question forms the basis of and the was even there.

Ed talked to him for quite some time. Jeffrey rationale for his work. His meticulous craftsmanship is evident felt Ed's passion for art in a tangible way, and was so moved by in all of his sculptures. that encounter with Ed, that he knew he had to transfer to the Jeffrey credits Hazel Loew as his first mentor. Hazel was his 30

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Street of Power

Watch Me Play, East Bank Club, Chicago

University of Illinois to study design with Zagorski.

With newfound motivation, it was pure joy when, a year later, Jeffrey finally got into Ed's sophomore design class. Jeffrey designed furniture, appliances and cars, as well as one toy project. His design of children's modular furniture got the second highest grade in the class. He felt electrified by his new academic direction and success.

A fellow design student told Jeffrey about Marvin Glass, a toy designer who ran a Chicago studio. That sophomore year, Jeffrey decided he'd have to work for Marvin and spend his life designing children's toys.

After graduation, it took Jeffrey two years to convince Marvin to hire him, but he finally did and soon thereafter Marvin made Jeffrey a partner. The seven years Marvin mentored Jeffrey in the toy business were amazing for Jeffrey. He learned the toy design business, the business of the toy business, and the life business from Marvin. These were wild and crazy times for Jeffrey in Marvin Glass' studio - after all, it was about toys. Sadly, Marvin died at 59 and soon Jeffrey was given the job of running the company.

The one profession Jeffrey had his entire career – designing toys – all happened because of Ed Zagorski. Jeffrey noted that Ed supported his students with a parent's loyalty, love and tenacity. Jeffrey spent 41 years on one path as a toy designer, and a very successful path it's been, he's an Inductee of the Toy Manufacturers Hall of Fame and has hundreds of US patents to his name. His designs have been sold around the world by Mattel, Hasbro, Fisher-Price and all the major toy manufacturers.

Approaching retirement, Jeffrey left the toy business in 2008.

But instead of retiring, he started on another adventure: to became a sculptor. He studied with Susan Clinard for four years creating realistic bronze figures. Clinard was another mentor

Circle Of Power

for Jeffrey. Jeffrey admires Susan's ability to be a brilliant sculptor and a fantastic teacher – understanding it's not easy to be both. Susan gave Jeffrey the confidence to find his identity as an artist through the process of creating sculpture.

Jeffrey organized a group of Ed Zagorski's former students to commission Susan Clinard to create a bronze bust of Ed for his 85th birthday. The bust can be seen at U of I's Kranert Museum.

Jeffrey whimsically comments that since Ed is still around and ticking very nicely at 94, whenever he visits Kranert, Ed "can say hello to himself."

In April of 2015, the iconic Chicago landmark, Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), granted Jeffrey a solo six-month indoor/outdoor exhibition that encompasses the ground floor and outside plaza of The Tower, showcasing 27 pieces of Breslow's sculpture. The show, titled "Bolder & Boulder," was quite a coup for a "young" emerging artist. "Bolder & Boulder's" opening reception was just shy of Jeffrey's 72nd birthday.

In September of 2015, Jeffrey opened his own gallery on the ground floor of his home at 1015 W. Fulton Market in Chicago.

He fortuitously bought the West Loop neighborhood building nine years ago, long before Google decided to move across the street. The Jeffrey Breslow Gallery will primarily be a showroom for his sculpture, but the gallery has various other artists lined up and slotted for exhibit throughout the year. The Jeffrey Breslow Gallery is currently exhibiting a multi-media show that features Jeffrey's sculpture and the beautiful nature photographs of Laurel Feldman. The less traveled road has been an incredible adventure for Jeffrey, as he recalls a few of his loves and inspirations who appeared along his life's path: Hazel Lowe, Ed Zagorski, Marvin Glass, Susan Clinard, whitewater rafting, hiking and, of course, Robert Frost.

HOLIDAY 2015 31

Fine art should always tell a story.

290 Fillmore Street #3, Denver, CO 80206 www.objectdesignstudio.com 303-377-1701

For the Compass Project, we spent two and half years to create a ring, pendant, and necklace that work together to create a compass, a stargazing chart, and a sundial. These pieces celebrate the twentieth anniversary of a couple who live in the mountains but travel across the ocean in a ship called the Compass Rose. At Object Design Studio, our one-of-a-kind pieces tell stories like this.

contemporary jewelry gallery

Deka Jewelry 28 East 10th Street, New York Tel: 212-505-7100 info@dekajewelry.com www.dekajewelry.com instagram: @dekajewelry

VAN GOGH AND MUNCH: FACE TO FACE A new exhibition in Amsterdam unites the two artistic kindred spirits

(left) Edvard Munch, The Scream, 1893. Munch Museum, Oslo. (right) Vincent van Gogh, The Bridge at Trinquetaille, 1888. Private collection

‘W

here can I find The Scream?’ is a question often heard in the Van Gogh Museum. It is an understandable mistake. The names of the Norwegian Edvard Munch and the Dutchman Vincent van Gogh have been uttered in the same breath for more than a hundred years.

Although they never actually met, they worked on very similar themes during the same period, and their take on life and art was very similar. Munch : Van Gogh is the first exhibition in history to focus specifically on the artistic affinity between these two kindred spirits. Featuring more than a hundred important works of art, including a number of top works that are very rarely allowed out on loan (The Scream, The Sick Child and Madonna by Munch; Starry Night over the Rhône, Patience Escalier (‘The Peasant’) and The Trinquetaille Bridge by Van Gogh). Munch : Van Gogh offers visitors a unique opportunity to admire key pieces from the collected works of these two artists in one location. Munch : Van Gogh is the result of years of

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collaboration and intensive research by the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the Munch Museum in Oslo.

The exhibition focuses on the common ground between the work of these two artists, which even today is still a source of inspiration to millions of people. Munch : Van Gogh is a unique exhibition, featuring more than 100 works of art: approximately 80 paintings and 30 works on paper. This is the very first exhibition to be held in the museum’s reopened exhibition wing, and includes iconic pictures from all around the world that are rarely loaned out, such as Munch’s The Scream and Van Gogh’s Starry Night over the Rhone. This long-awaited major exhibition that brings together work by Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch for the first time in history and is on view through January 17, 2016.

Although Munch was ten years younger than Van Gogh, their careers began at almost the same time in 1880. They were both initially inspired by naturalist painters in their native

countries, who painted sentimental subjects in subdued colors.

But it was not long before the two artists started to approach traditional themes in their own very personal style. The Munch : Van Gogh exhibition starts with these early years, where the raw basic honesty of this phase is illustrated by The Potato Eaters (Van Gogh) and Morning (Munch). However, at the time these works were met with hostility and both men soon realized that they would be unable to develop their talents on their home ground. They moved to Paris within a couple of years of each other. This was the place to be in those days. It was the hub of everything that was new and modern, a meeting place for the avant-garde, where new movements such as impressionism and pointillism thrived. Munch and Van Gogh eagerly experimented with new styles, producing works of art that were entirely unique. Their mission was to bring about a radical modernization of art, averse to all forms of convention.

Both devoted their artistry to the kind of existential questions we all ask, but to which nobody knows the answer. The hard, elusive and beautiful aspects of the strong emotions that govern human existence were the key: the cycle of birth and death, fear, human suffering, solace, hope and love. These are the themes of their most important works, such as The Starry Night, The Scream, The Sick Child and Madonna by Munch or Augustine Roulin (La Berceuse), Wheatfield under Thunderclouds and Garden of the Asylum by Van Gogh: the expression of hope in a single star or suffering in a broken branch.

To emphasize the feeling or idea behind their work, Munch and Van Gogh pushed their art to the limits. The colors virtually splash out of the canvas, accentuating the shapes and lines, and simplifying reality. Searching for new perspectives and excisions, they emphasized their use of paints and other materials, going against the grain, representing the pinnacle of all that was modern and unconventional. Despite their complex techniques, the finished work was often surprisingly simple. Their art is both accessible and highly complex; profoundly human: it touches the mind and the soul. This is precisely what makes Munch and Van Gogh so unique.

The combination of innovative techniques and universal themes resulted in compelling images that still manage to strike a chord in our hearts. In The Yellow House (‘The Street’), Van Gogh makes use of sharply contrasting colors to depict the searing heat in the South of France; in Death in the Sickroom, Munch distorts the perspective and feeling of space to create a claustrophobic atmosphere. Both Van Gogh and Munch wrote countless letters, diary entries and literary texts chronicling the trials and tribulations of life. The exhibition includes prime examples of these writings, such as Munch's illustrated text about The Scream.

Although paintings like Van Gogh's Sunflowers or Munch's Vampire are best known as individual works of art, both were in fact originally intended as part of a series. Both artists hoped that these series of paintings would complement and clarify each other, forming a cohesive entity (both referred to them as

(bottom) Edvard Munch, Fertility, 1899-1900. Canica Art Collection, Oslo. (top) Vincent van Gogh, The Sower, 1888. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Vincent van Gogh Foundation.

'symphonies'). Munch's most famous series of paintings is his Frieze of Life, a series that he spent many years developing and which depicts human life from the cradle to the grave. In Arles, in the South of France, Van Gogh painted his ultimate series of paintings, which he called the Décoration for the Yellow House.

This series, which consists of pictures of towns and landscapes, portraits and still lives, was intended to adorn the rooms of his house in preparation for the arrival of his friend, Paul Gauguin.

The last room of the Munch : Van Gogh exhibition displays the main works from both Munch's Frieze of Life and Van Gogh's Décoration. It is the grand finale of an artistic dialogue between two kindred spirits.

Munch : Van Gogh is a unique exhibition, featuring more than 100 works of art: approximately 80 paintings and 30 works on paper. Almost 80 works of art are on loan. This is the first time that these paintings by Munch have been on display in the HOLIDAY 2015 35

(above) Vincent van Gogh, Starry Night over the Rhône, 1888.

Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Gift of Mr and Mrs Robert Kahn-Sriber, in memory of Mr and Mrs Fernand Moch, 1975. (left) Edvard Munch, Starry Night, 1922. Munch Museum,Oslo.

Netherlands. A few paintings by Vincent van Gogh will also be exhibited in the Van Gogh Museum for the first time: Entrance to the Public Park in Arles, 1888, from Phillips Collection in Washington DC, Undergrowth with Two Figures, 1890, from the Cincinnati Art Museum, and The Trinquetaille Bridge, 1888, from a private collection.

Munch and Van Gogh both focused on the strong emotions that govern human existence: love, fear, spirituality and death. In the stairwell of the exhibition wing, the museum invites visitors to follow in the footsteps of Munch and Van Gogh by sharing their own ideas about these strong emotions. Quotes from both artists adorn the walls, inspiring visitors to write their stories on special plaques in the stairwell.

In conjunction with the exhibition, special cultural programs will occur across Amsterdam. Using film, performance, debate and music, local institutions, including The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, will demonstrate the impact that the two artists still have on art and culture today.

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Kjurek

Collection

by Reece Fawcett

The Fall 2015 runway collection of the Minneapolisbased, womens’ apparel brand follows the familiar beat of bohemian luxe with global influences... continued on next page

Photographs from the fashion show

by Tyler Bloomquist

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Photographer: Miles Schuster milesschuster.com Model: Emmi Kainulainen

and an artistic point of view.

The brand is a partnering of the talents of co–owners Kimberly Jurek-Valanzasca and Jennifer Chilstrom. In 2012 the design duo joined forces and while the label carries Kjurek’s namesake, this is clearly a synergy between the two.

Kimberly’s passion for adventure and travel combines with technical acumen of refined tailoring, a skill she honed while studying in Florence Italy at the Accademia Italiana. Jen Chilstrom, a visual artist, designer, and community advocate, channels her knowledge of silk transfer, painting, and textile dyeing to hand-create many of the fabrics. Her broad based creativity traverses familiar iconic pop culture, such as Woodstock, rock n’ roll, and the graffiti artistry of hip hop. This season provided her with ample opportunity to delve into hand painting as well as Japanese Shibori dyeing technique that is often mistaken for “tie dye”.

Shibori (pronounced She-boreeee) is actually a process of folding the fabric in patterns to resist the dye and create unique repetitive shapes. The silks were offset by merino wool, tweed, faux fur, and leather to create an inviting mix of textures. The choice of faux is an extension of the ethos of both founders for social conscience and animal rights.

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The Intersection of runway and street style is a hallmark of the brand that caters to a clientele spanning 25-55 years and has a growing audience for the simple reason that Kjurek creates “go to” fashion that is communicating effortless sophistication at affordable prices. The collection is available at their Minneapolis showroom retail boutique space aptly named “Showroom “ which is a shared cooperative apparel and accessories design space with other local Minneapolis brands as well as online.

This seasons’ fashion story possessed a ’70s hippie vibe and familiar wardrobe essentials such as ponchos and flared bell bottoms could not be mistaken as ordinary with hand painted embellishment, knotted fringe and Obi belts. The Asian infusion of glamorous Kimono sleeves transforms hand-dyed dresses and chic faux fur coats into refined statement pieces. The coats rendered in short and long lengths would layer easily over jeans and boots day to evening.

The centerpiece of the collection is an ecru, sleeveless silk dip dyed gown with horizontal strands of dark indigo that puddles elegantly on the ground in waves.

The graphic patterning is softened with long side seams of ruching and a sexy deep v-neck to create the perfect contrast of edgy street style meets ballroom. Jen Chilstom references graffiti art as the inspiration for the gown and adds “it was a labor of love “ that shows in the attention of patterning and tailoring. It is a wearable piece of art, all at an affordable price of $375.00.

ARICA HILTON

Explains Her Philosophy, Why She Creates, as told to and the Inspiration for Her Latest Work Elysabeth Alfano

I

have never believed that our lives are predestined by the event that happened before or that we do not have the ability to change our circumstances because of one choice or another. I believe in free will, that we can choose our path the way we want to design it. I believe in the power of vision. Perhaps, that’s why I am an artist. Being born in another country has given me a platform to create the person I am and choose to be. It does not define me, as I feel that our definitions change each breath we take. We think new thoughts, and we can become any of the thoughts we choose. But the one thing I do believe is that we have to truly “believe” in the possibility of those thoughts.

Otherwise, we disappoint ourselves.

My paintings begin with a thought, a vision. Sometimes a picture I see in the sky or the water. My process involves channeling my thoughts through my brush, paint, or whatever materials serve my purpose onto a canvas or words on a page. Each piece I create is a communication, a language. I cannot speak for other artists, but for me, art is a powerful connection to our own inner depth and to another. I think many of the people who collect my paintings want something outside of themselves, yet inside of themselves. Many of my collectors use my paintings as a meditation. It becomes a conversation that travels from my canvas to the collector’s wall and life. We are connected; I have become part of them.

I see the beauty of the world, the tragedy of the world. Life, death, destruction, human beings killing one another for what, for a piece of this earth, for a belief that their beliefs are more important than your beliefs? It maddens me sometimes to see that in thousands of years, only a small percentage of human beings have evolved into peace-seeking individuals. If one is an empathetic person, it can be quite painful to see the utter madness and suffering in this world. I want to create something that touches, reaches people into a highI Flow Like Water - Gold, oil and recycled plastic on canvas, 36x70"

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Water Worlds, oil on canvas, 30x40”

er consciousness. I want to reach for light, and in doing so, I hope it helps others reach for that which they long for.

There is a Sino-Japanese term called “unsui” which means cloud/water. It is derived from a Chinese poem “to drift like clouds, to flow like water.” Clouds attach to nothing, and so drift freely across the sky. Flowing water follows its course naturally, without resistance or hesitation. It travels down hills, flows around the rocks and slips into places where other things cannot go. It does not insist on any particular form, it takes the shape of its captor, whether a glass or an ocean. It replenishes and is integral in the growth process.

The most revered thing on earth is water. Not only because it is vital to survival but because it is the essence of life. When we look at the chemical composition of the universe, we learn that water exists in a variety of forms, whether it is ice or vapor, from planets to comets to interstellar clouds. Water comprises 70 percent of the earth’s surface and 70 percent of our bodies.

Decades ago, I recall we were aghast that anyone would have the audacity to take this natural gift and actually bottle it for sale. But then, I learned that bottled water has been around since the 17th century. The trouble with today’s bottled water, unfortunately, is that since the 1970’s, the bottles have been

made from a petroleum product, polyethylene terephthalate, which requires a large amount of fossil fuels to make each bottle. Plastic has become a blessing and curse to our society.

This collection was inspired by my ongoing fascination and respect for water and our environment, which has been an integral part of my life and work for quite some time. I created a series of paintings infused with recycled plastic water bottles that I actually drank from and collected. As an artist, I feel the need to address issues in the world through my art and writings that will hopefully bring awareness to people who do not know about a particular subject, such as the serious problem we have created with the billions of pounds of plastic weighing down our oceans. It has been said that humanity’s plastic footprint is more dangerous than it’s carbon footprint. It is sad that we are unintentionally destroying our environment.

Our earth is a beautiful place. It is our home. As evolved beings, it is our duty to be the caretakers of our planet and to educate those who do not know. Since water is the essence of life, it too is a living thing. If we can learn to flow like water, to become water, we will understand the importance of the interconnection we have with all life. This series of paintings is a gentle reminder of the value we should place on our earth and ourselves.

HOLIDAY 2015 41

SABINE DANZE: IDEAS DANCE

by Lynn Biederstadt

I

n a world in which art is often created in monkish silence – and its viewing is a hushed processional from wall to white wall – Sabine Danze is a force of nature. Watching her dance-paint onto canvas before rapt crowds, as Danze did in a thrilling encounter at Mike Wright Gallery in Denver, Colorado, is a not-tobe-missed experience. But make no mistake; performance is only one part of the substance and passion that drives a lifein-art, as Danze recently revealed in our bicontinental conversation.

not communicating a pictorial message. I want my art to encourage a multitude of sensations, like a wave of emotions.

The energy, the now-ness, of your work has much in common with street art.

I’m not a street artist. But I like that one can paint outside, anywhere and faster. I love the power of color and texture and the inks and spray and markers that street artists use.

If one couldn’t see your art, how would you describe it to them?

It’s wonderful to watch you interact with your big canvases: watching you move to music, seeing you engage physically, often painting with both hands at once.

Tough question. I refuse to limit myself to one style, one direction. I love being in a state of extreme freedom when I paint,

Yes! I paint and I dance and move to music to bring movement and scale to my painting. I do the same in my studio; my

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brain wants me to move. I use my hands when I need a shifted perspective, as if I could create a virtual hologram. And the electronic music gives me the energy to paint; it always has.

And yet, it’s clear that this isn’t performance for performance sake.

That’s true. I want to provoke whoever looks at my art to feel what’s real and unique.

You’ve described your artist self as neither man nor woman.

The artist’s gender is an artificial distinction. Art is enigmatic and charismatic – a pure force beyond the sex of the artist.

You want to know an artist, look at her heart.

Tell us about your show at Mike Wright Gallery.

Sabine Danze: (clockwise from top right) The Blue Geisha, 55x78”; You Love Me in Nantes, 64x48”; The Blue Geisha, 78x55”; Maitre D’Armes I, 78x55”; Only for Girls, 38x51”

The “You Love Me” series is a tribute to those first meetings that make you vibrate, even a very short time. “The Blue Geisha” works are the glare and flicker of water and sky when the sun is at its zenith; figures the eye can’t quite capture, removed from time and distance—girls, women, mothers who live their desire for freedom and honor, who belong to no one. I’m like those women.

What’s next for you?

My future will never be defined. Nor my past. It’s what we do in this moment that’s important. Right now, I’m preparing a new artistic experience, experimenting with new materials, silicone, special inks – a new approach to abstraction with light and texture that exists nowhere yet. I want to stay ahead of my time.

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Chance and Found Objects in Landscape Painting

by Hugo Anderson

Hugo Anderson, British Columbia, 2015, oil on canvas, 48” x 60”

I

am artist/painter and have been for 45 years. The most significant influence in my career has been the element of chance. In 1968 I was returning from two years in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone to attend law school in Colorado. By chance I read an art review by Robert Hughes in Time magazine of an exhibition of paintings by Henri Matisse, on view in Paris.

He said it was a chance of a lifetime event: not to be missed.

I stopped and went to the show. Three hours with Matisse’s paintings, walking through his life, changed mine. I still went to law school (for a year) and tried banking briefly to placate my parents. But I knew what I wanted to be: an artist.

As a self-taught painter, my early works (1970’s – 1980’s)

were based upon observation and were realistic in style. In 1986 I decided to go to graduate school. Accepted in both painting and sculpture, I chose sculpture. Found objects became my medium of choice; I liked the element of chance it brought to each new work. When I returned to painting in 1990, I looked for ways to add “chance” to my work. The random use of stencils and painting over earlier canvases proved to be two successful means of creating the unexpected in my paintings. Stencils have continued to provide elements of pattern and design in my work for the past 25 years.

Since the early 1990’s my paintings had evolved from realism to abstractions based upon memories of time spent in HOLIDAY 2015 45

nature. Maps and charts have been subjects I have used in connection with paintings of British Columbia, Maine, New Mexico, and Yellowstone National Park. On a recent visit to Hawaii, I discovered Polynesian navigation charts. Constructed of wood and shells, they are large structures (8’x12’) that were intended to be memorized rather than carried on canoe voyages. They have become new found objects for my painting, which I have superimposed in paint over a series of abstract backgrounds.

I began by using the first three charts I saw in Hawaii; they were guides to the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific. I found more examples in the Smithsonian Museum collection.

As backgrounds I used a sunset, an ariel view of the ocean and the stars as backgrounds.

The other aspect I liked with Navigation is its connection to flying.

I refer to my paintings as being “abstract”, while in fact they are really often simply landscapes without a horizon. They are bird’s eye views of geographic subjects. The first fight I remember was at the age of 2 ½ years. I remember my astonishment at seeing the clouds from above.

Growing up in the American Southwest, the views from above are abstractions in themselves. These are the memories I returned to for my paintings. Early on I had relied on photographs (my own) as references

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(opposite page, top) L.A. Approach, June 28th 2015, 2015, oil on canvas, 48” x 36” (opposite page, bottom) Mackerel Sky, 2015, oil on canvas, 48” x 120” (diptych)

(this page) Marshall Islands II, 2015, oil on canvas, 60” x 48”

for paintings; I would climb mountains, photograph them and return to the studio to paint them. While a good learning tool for painting, I found it inhibiting; photographs became a literal blueprint which allowed little room for input or inspiration.

When I returned to painting after my MFA, I began painting only from memory, in particular childhood memories of New Mexico, where I grew up. I wanted to convey the essence of the space and the land, not simply a literal image. With my memory as my guide and the addition of a stencil for some random input, I started a series of paintings which have spread over 25 years. I am drawn to open and/or empty spaces. The quiet places of vacations and meditations Who knew that Geology would be one of the most helpful classes I took in college (along with a lifetime of skiing, hiking,

fly fishing, rock climbing and geyser gazing). I tend to work in series of paintings of similar subjects which have included geological, atmospheric, celestial, aviation and navigational elements. Yellowstone National Park and the Tetons were early and lasting subjects. I spent ten years there, visiting each fall from 1995 to 2005. It was the time of the big fires in that area and the years of recovery. Over 30 paintings evolved from those trips. British Columbia where I spent four summers traveling the entire coastline by fishing boat, also produced a large series of paintings. My most recent works are memories of an extraordinary sunset created by an early El Nino storm over Los Angeles, as viewed while landing at LAX. I always take a window seat; you never know what chance may offer.

HOLIDAY 2015 47

CREATING THE PERFECT PIECE

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lmost three years ago, a couple came to Nelson Giesecke, owner of Object Design Studio, and asked for a special _commision to celebrate their twentieth annivarsy. The couple lived in the mountains in Colorado but traveled across the ocean in a ship called the Compass Rose. The idea was to celebrate the anniversary with a piece of jewelry that also worked as a compass. To design and construct a complex suite of jewelry like this “compass project� takes a very large time commitment.

In fact, it took two and a half years to create a ring, a pendant, and a necklace that work together to create a compass, a stargazing chart and a sundial.

As a focal point to the suite, Nelson chose a very rare, triangular tourmaline to be the basis for the pendant; it is a Paraiba tourmaline that is as blue as the color of the ocean. He conceived of the pendant as a an instrument that would work in tandem with a ring to become a compass. At the time, it seemed like a simple

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and logical way to celebrate the name of the ship. In practice, however, the project would take almost a year to design!

The first problem was how to create a compass. A platinum ring was designed with an exquisite, fine marquise sapphire to represent a boat and a compass pointer. Internally, it was set with a series of miniature, rare earth magnets to create a simple compass. In order to make the compass perform, it would need to be suspended by a very thin chain, devoid of friction in order to find Magnetic North. The pendant needed to accommodate this function, provide additional information, and look aesthetically beautiful as a piece of jewelry. Each of these requirements could be met if the pendant could work independently of a necklace and also be folded into a structure to support the ring. Consequently, the form of the pendant was developed based on the need to make it bend and fold. Within its structure, it houses a stargazing chart with nine constellations, the Milky Way, and a sundial. It con-

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tains diamonds, sapphires, several Paraiba tourmalines, a Spessartite garnet, emeralds, and a golden, South Seas pearl.

The necklace was created to be worn both with the pendant attached as well as by itself. Hidden behind the complex mechanics of the pendant hangs a platinum and diamond frigate bird. This bird serves as the centerpiece of the necklace because it lives on land and fishes at sea. The two sides of the necklace were designed to reflect the leaves of land and the waves of the ocean. Between these two sides, the frigate bird flies with a natural, canary diamond in the form of an abstract fish.

Object Design believes that fine art should always tell a story.

The reason that most of the work produced at the studio is commissioned as one of a kind is that each piece tells such a story.

True, this Compass Suite stands out because it was complex to make. It also tells a story of love, adventure, and nature. And isn't that the way to start a great story!

HOLIDAY 2015 49

B R I L L I A N T LY G I F T E D

Todd Pownell

Jim Pittman

Alex Sepkus

Robert Spellman

Arman Sarkysian

Adele Chefridi

Anne Sportun

Polly Wales

Bill Snider

T R UNK S H OW S

DECEMBER 5-6

Adel Chefridi

DECEMBER 12-13

Arman Sarkysian

DECEMBER 19-20

Tap by Todd Pownell

1615 Pearl Street | Boulder, Colorado 80302 | phone 303.544.5803 | artandsoulboulder.com