Biological Art Metal - Origins

Origins

Biological art metal might be considered a modern elaboration on the Art Nouveau movement in jewelry design and art. In her authoritative 1985 work on the subject, Art Nouveau Jewelry, Vivienne Becker details the influence of nature on art nouveau jewelers such as Vever Aucoc, Lalique, Wolfers and Falize. Art nouveau jewelry designers (in France especially) were enormously influenced by art imported from Japan by Samuel Bing and nature was an important theme in the japonisme. Bing writes,

"The Japanese artist ...is convinced that nature contains the primordial elements of all things, and ...nothing exists in creation, be it only a blade of grass, that is not worthy of a place in the loftiest conceptions of Art." (Becker, 1985).

In many ways, thus, the biological art metal movement represents a revival of the art nouveau in jewelry and metalwares.

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