Showcase 500 Art Necklaces

by Ray Hemachandra, Chunghi Choo

This entry in the Showcase 500 series features the most gorgeous necklaces you've ever seen. Lovingly crafted by renowned art jewelers from around the world, these one-of-a-kind pieces display technical excellence, diverse forming techniques, and unceasing beauty. Made of materials that range from traditional metals to nylon, fabric, and found objects, these necklaces will leave art lovers, jewelers, design fans, crafters, and collectors awestruck and inspired.

420 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2013

Reviews

[Ligaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The work included here is often stunning and beautiful, some perplexing, but all inspirational. I love this series from Lark Books! The book is well designed and the photos are professional. I would have appreciated seeing many more detail shots. Not a lot of text, more a feast for the eyes.

[JayeL]

This is another gorgeous '500' title from Lark Books. More eye candy and inspiration for all kinds of creative people.

This book starts off with an introduction by the juror Chunghi Choo, a professor at the University of Iowa. The introduction is interesting, because Chunghi mentions that "...making art objects...are now wide open to the free use of varied materials, found objects, and flexible meidums." He is clearly in awe of the freshness of designs as artwork and fashion.

The photos in this edition in the "500 series" depict necklaces. And in this department extreme design is not an overstatement. The artists really press the boundaries of what can be worn as a necklace as well as the principles of design.

Again, neutrals such as bronze, grey, black, gold, pearl and silver dominate the colors in this book, but color is well represented. Vanessa Walilko's Red Queen necklace is a striking piece is vivid scarlet. The elements of the design look like the tails of a fabulous bird. Marian Acosta Contreras', pg.344, is a wonderful study in turquoise, using a variety of values in that color family.

The delicate wire structures by Louise Makowski, Dominique Thomas (pg.131), Kristen Baird and Susan J. Cross (pg.130) are examples of equally wonderful yet completely different designs in necklaces.

One piece, Karolina Bik's Chaos necklace, pg.267, I noticed looked like a melting ice structure. The sterling silver, 18 karat gold and 24 karat gold flakes are mixed with acrylic fiberglass to achieve a completely different look from many of the other examples in this book

Look at the shapes, materials and colors and be inspired.

Thanks to Lark Books for sending this book to me to review!