Wearable artworks by Alexander Calder.
Fans of the U.S. sculptor Alexander Calder, among them socialite Peggy Guggenheim and artist Georgia O’Keeffe, were not content merely to look at his avant-garde creations—they wanted to wear them. Lucky for them, Calder experimented with materials and forms not only in his sculptures but also in his jewelry. His necklace known as the Jealous Husband, a hammered-brass-wire piece created in 1940, adorned actress Anjelica Huston in 1976.
This fall, from September 27 to November 5, London’s Louisa Guinness Gallery (louisaguinnessgallery.com) will host The Boldness of Calder, an exhibit and sale. “Calder pioneered what has become the genre of wearable art,” says gallery owner Louisa Guinness, adding that she sees his jewelry as undervalued compared with his fine art. Though the 1950 brass necklace shown above will be one of 10 pieces on loan for the exhibit and not for sale, 15 other examples will be on offer, priced from $50,000 to $500,000.
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