Ornament is the leading magazine celebrating wearable art. Explore jewelry, fashion, beads; contemporary, ancient and ethnographic.
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20 ORNAMENT 36.2.2012 the ornament bo okshelf Elise Mann (editor) Spring 2012 Bead Society of Great Britain Journal 107: 32 pp.; published quarterly, $35.00 per year; www.beadsociety.org.uk. Founded in 1989, the Bead Society of Great Britain is the only bead organization which prints a full color, glossy publication; until recently, it was a newsletter. Almost every bead society in the world had its own print publication, but many have now gone to digital versions. None published as many pages as this journal. The Bead Society of Greater Washington never exceeded twenty pages, even when that organization was perhaps the foremost such group in the United States and operated their own bead museum. The journal of the Bead Society of Great Britain has full coverage of events in the United Kingdom, along with museum exhibitions, local events, publication and product reviews, as well as advertisements. Periodically, they have published past articles from Ornament Magazine, concentrating on those relating to ethnographic or ancient beads; they also occasionally publish on these same topics. Journal 107 reprinted Chinese Warring States glazed beads, in a different format but with excellent color reproduction. Sharing a common language and interest, a number of Americans have participated in bead-related events in the United Kingdom, and this reviewer has spoken before their society in the past. Diane Fitzgerald, well known among the bead community in the United States, is often a contributor to their journal. Their society's members have a strong affinity for beaded items; beadwork projects are exceedingly popular topics of articles in their publication. Articles on Native American beadwork are frequent, with good illustrations. A study of their website affirms the parallel activity of this society: four to five meetings a year, along with two or three lectures or workshops, a group visit to chosen museums and their annual bead fair, important to any bead group in terms of financing its activities and maintaining cohesion (see this issue's Bead Bazaar of The Bead Society of Los Angeles). Their members reflect a diverse group—collectors, researchers, dealers, jewelrymakers, bead embroiderers, beadworkers, beadmakers, and others. Some are well known to the international bead community, such as Stefany Tomalin and Carole Morris. Robert K. Liu Nancy N. Schiffer 2009 Masters of Contemporary Indian Jewelry. Schiffer Publications: 256 pp., hardcover $50.00. Masters of Contemporary Indian Jewelry is not an indepth book, but more of a catalogue of sixty well-known Native American jewelers in recent years. Either a brief description of the artist or an artist statement proceeds several pages of jewelry; while not enough to give more than a rough idea of that artist's background, reading personal statements can be interesting. Irene and Carl Clark, whose micro-fine inlay work is absolutely mesmerizing, provide an overview of their reasons for being jewelers and creators as fascinating as their jewelry. They describe how they use their traditional Navajo way to make their jewelry; the "Beauty Way," where one is in accordance with beauty; surrounded by it, and bringing it within. They also chart their journey of influences and travel, from researching the great European masters to visiting Germany and the Northwest United States. Although these vignettes are valuable, author Schiffer most likely had to ask the artists themselves for information, which may have led to some gaps. This leads to several people with only a paragraph, while others have two entire pages. One artist in the book lacks even a blurb, which leads to an incomplete feel. Reading through the book, one is also quite likely to run into typos, which seem to proliferate every few pages. The crowning glory is not the text, however, but the imagery. Nearly every artist has a distinct style, and some of the work is nearly mouthwatering. Benson Manygoats's reversible loom necklace design is both clever and well executed, taking a weaving loom with an inlaid rug already in progress as its centerpiece. A gorgeous squash blossom necklace by Shane Hendren features the unusual mixture of copper into gold and silver, creating a very contemporary look for a traditional design. While there are flaws, the book has value depending on what is sought. While the quality of the photographs also varies slightly, most of them are well rendered. The artists included in the book are some of the best of Indian jewelers, with many pioneering new directions that keep that wonderful juxtaposition between traditional motifs and experimentation. As eye candy and a brief overview of those in the field, Masters of Contemporary Indian Jewelry delivers. Patrick R. Benesh-Liu