Art Smith (jeweler)

Arthur George "Art" Smith (1917–1982) was one of the leading modernist jewelers of the mid-20th century, and one of the few Afro-Caribbean people working in the field to reach international recognition. He trained at Cooper Union, NYU, and under Winifred Mason.[1][2]

Spiral necklace, 1958 ca.

Style

Galaxy Necklace, ca. 1962, from the collection of the Brooklyn Museum
Model wearing a Smith bracelet designed c. 1948

Smith's jewelry has been described as:

Inspired by surrealism, biomorphicism, and primitivism ... dynamic in its size and form.[3]

Many of his pieces were designed to be worn by avant-garde dancers, which influenced his style. The pieces were often large. Of his own work, he said:

A piece of jewelry is in a sense an object that is not complete in itself. Jewelry is a ‘what is it?’ until you relate it to the body. The body is a component in design just as air and space are. Like line, form, and color, the body is a material to work with. It is one of the basic inspirations in creating form.[4]

Alexander Calder was also an influence.[5] Smith was friend and contemporary to many in the downtown New York City arts and fashion scene, such as sandal maker Barbara Shaum and Knobkerry's Sara Penn.[6]

Biography

Smith was born in Cuba, after his parents emigrated there from Jamaica. They moved to New York City when he was three years old.[7][8]

As an adult, Smith worked in Manhattan's Greenwich Village, running a shop there from 1946 until 1979 (shortly before his death). Smith was a gay Afro-Caribbean, and as a result was subject to attacks shortly after his store opened.[9] A fan of jazz and modern dance, he was personally acquainted with musicians of the period including Lena Horne, Harry Belafonte, Eartha Kitt and Talley Beatty.[9][10]

Smith died in 1982 of heart disease.[11]

Exhibitions and holdings

During his life, Smith's work was featured in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, and exhibited at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts.[9] Posthumously, Smith's work was the subject of an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in 2008-2011,[3] and is held in the permanent collection of the Cooper Hewitt Museum, Museum of Art and Design, and Boston Museum of Fine Arts.[1][12]

One piece of Smith's sold for $22,000,[11] and a cufflink collector told the New York Times that Smith's cufflinks were the most expensive pieces in his collection.[13]

References

  1. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. "Art Smith". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  2. Schon, Marbeth. "The Jewelry of Winifred Mason". Modern Silver. Archived from the original on 2015-05-20. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
  3. "From the Village to Vogue: The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith". Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
  4. Schrieber, Fran. "Review: From the Village to Vogue, The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith". Modern Silver. Archived from the original on 2015-11-13. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
  5. "Art Smith | Necklace". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  6. Kitto, Svetlana (2022). Sara Penn's Knobkerry: An Oral History Sourcebook. Long Island City, NY: SculptureCenter. ISBN 978-1-7377186-0-4.
  7. Russell, Charles L. (2015-12-28). Art as Adornment: The Life and Work of Arthur George Smith. Outskirts Press. ISBN 9781478743156.
  8. From the Village to Vogue: The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith. Brooklyn Museum. 2008-01-01.
  9. "Biography". Catalog: From the Village to Vogue: The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith. Brooklyn Museum. 2008-01-01.
  10. Tapley, Mel (1982-03-06). "Obituary: Art Smith". www.925-1000.com. New Amsterdam News. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
  11. Smith, Nicola (2016-03-10). "Art Notes: Lebanon Resident's Book Memorializes Pioneering Jewelry Designer's Legacy". Valley News. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  12. "Arthur Smith". Museum of Arts and Design Collection Database. Archived from the original on 2016-06-24. Retrieved 2015-10-18.
  13. Kahn, Eve M. (2016-07-21). "When Form Meets Function: Cuff Links Throughout the Centuries". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2017-02-13.
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