Celebrating Calder: a timely homage to the patron saint of art jewellery

Alexander Calder is the grandfather of artist jewellery, so when gallerist Louisa Guinness saw her mother-in-law wearing a Calder necklace she had bought for a song from the artist 25 years ago, she knew an exhibition was a must. Over the course of two years, Guinness called on private collectors, experts and the Alexander Calder Foundation to create a show at her eponymous gallery – the first solo exhibition of the late artist’s jewellery design in the UK.
Necklaces, brooches, bangles and earrings are displayed on headless mannequins, swathed in red robes, and on red leather bondage-bound torsos and heads. It’s a fittingly avant garde mise-en-scene created by Norwegian fashion designer Elise Overland.
Calder favoured simple, found materials over precious ones – bronze and silver over gold, stones and glass over diamonds and gemstones. He would hammer and bend metals into outsized, unwieldy zigzags, swirls and spirals (a favourite motif) and tie them together with wire, by hand, rather than using a soldering iron. He started making pieces for his sister’s dolls when he was a child, and later, in the 1930s, for his wife. His homespun, unorthodox approach soon became popular with many forward thinking women of the time, and photographs of Peggy Guggenheim, Georgia O’Keeffe and Anjelica Huston decked in his necklaces, brooches and jaggedy earrings line one wall of the gallery.
Calder only ever made one-offs, and 15 pieces in the show are for sale (his mobiles sell for upwards of £1m, and the rare unique jewellery pieces do not come cheap either). Alexander SC Rower, president the Calder Foundations says: ‘Making jewellery was extremely personal for my grandfather and he adamantly refused to edition his pieces. Each piece is unique, just like his mobiles. His pioneering aesthetic remains an inspiration for a league for studio jewellers today.’
Guinness commissioned photographer Alexander English to create a series of portraits of young women wearing Calder pieces. The aim, she explains, is to show Calder’s ‘timelessness and of-the-moment relevance and his continuous appeal’.
Pictured left: 'Brass' necklace, c.1940. Right: 'Flower', c.1945.
Pictured left: 'Silver and Cloth' necklace, c.1942. Right: Alexander English shoots Calder jewellery for Louisa Guinness Gallery.
Pictured left: 'Untitled' brooch, 1940. Right: Georgia O'Keeffe, wearing 'OK' brooch. c.1945.
Pictured left: Alexander English shoots Calder jewellery for Louisa Guinness Gallery. Right: 'Untitled', c.1940.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Louisa Guinness Gallery website
ADDRESS
Louisa Guinness Gallery
45 Conduit Street
London, W1S 2YN
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Emma O'Kelly is a freelance journalist and author based in London. Her books include Sauna: The Power of Deep Heat and she is currently working on a UK guide to wild saunas, due to be published in 2025.
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
Cartier’s major new exhibition opens at the V&A and it’s a gem
‘Cartier’ at the V&A in London takes an epic tour through the house’s history and archives
By Hannah Silver
-
Van Cleef & Arpels light up London with the Dance Reflections festival
Van Cleef & Arpels are celebrating their ties with the world of choreography with the second edition of the Dance Reflections festival across London
By Hannah Silver
-
As London’s V&A spotlights Mughal-era design, Santi Jewels tells of its enduring relevance
‘The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence’ is about to open at London’s V&A. Here, Mughal jewellery expert and Santi Jewels founder Krishna Choudhary tells us of the influence the dynasty holds today
By Hannah Silver
-
Discover the fantastical jewellery world of Castro NYC in London
Carpenters Workshop Jewellery celebrates the work of Castro NYC with a London exhibition
By Hannah Silver
-
Art takes London: Tiffany & Co, Damien Hirst and artists take over Selfridges' windows
Four British contemporary artists celebrate Tiffany & Co's pioneering history with a series of storied window displays
By Anne Soward
-
Self-Portrait launches first jewellery collection
Self-Portrait rethinks traditional motifs in its first jewellery collection, turning the feminine flounces of the bow into chic, contemporary pieces
By Hannah Silver
-
Seiko shines a light on conceptual Japanese watch design
Seiko’s Power Design Project 2024 at Japan House London explores watchmaking potential with seven ‘incredibly specialised watches’
By James Gurney
-
Van Cleef & Arpels' immersive London exhibition takes visitors inside the watchmaking world
Van Cleef & Arpels’ exhibition, ‘Poetry of Time’, at South Kensington’s Cromwell Place gallery, traces the early days of the maison
By Hannah Silver