“A piece of artist’s jewelry, like a painting or a piece of sculpture, is a work of art,” says Diane Venet whose private collection of artist’s jewelry along with loans from galleries and artists’ families is exhibited at Paris’ Musée des Arts Décoratifs (until July 8, 2018). From the early twentieth century studio artists such as Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray and Salvador Dali have made innovative jewelry reflecting contemporary art movements and themes. These artists used both precious and nontraditional materials creating one-of-a kind wearable works of art.
Diane Venet, wife of the French sculptor Bernar Venet, worked as journalist during the 70’s and presenter for France 2 “Samedi Soir” TV program. Venet, who now lives in the States, says she started organizing exhibitions during the late 80’s while living in New York with her artist husband. Her collection —before coming “back home” to Paris —has already been seen at such venues as the Museum of Art and Design, New York, the Bass Museum, Miami and the Hangaram Design Museum in Seoul, Korea.
The collection of 230 pieces illustrates chronologically and thematically the work of 150 French and international artists including bijoux by Alexander Calder, Jeff Koons, Niki de Saint Phalle, Caesar, Lichtenstein and of course hubby Bernar Venet. It also includes a number of remarkable commissioned pieces by such contemporary artists as Pablo Reinoso and Andres Serrano
“De Calder à Koons, bijoux d’artistes” to July 8, 2018, Musée des Arts Décoratifs