Trip to Washington DC- The Renwick

Earlier this month my husband and I had the opportunity to museum hop in Washington, DC. One of the highlights of the trip was the Ornament as Art: Avant-Garde Jewelry from the Helen Williams Drutt Collection exhibit at the Renwick Museum. What an outstanding show! Not only were the pieces well crafted, but the displays were well thought out. Hand cut plexiglass supported collar/bib necklaces and half round metal tubes prevented straight/collapsed alignment of pendants on chains. Enough room was left in the display cabinets to allow viewers, like me, to peek around at the backs. Looking at pictures online or in books is always inspiring, but rarely are the backs of the pieces photographed. As my interest is technical in nature, it was nice to be able to see how the items were constructed. On a couple of brooches, I noticed double pin closures or multiple tie tacks.

The pieces are not for everyday, and would take a special kind of person with an outgoing personality to pull off wearing them. Most are not practical and some, I believe, were both designed and collected for their sculptural qualities rather than wear-ablity. Mrs. Drutt also collected design sketches of several of the works; a real treat to see a little bit of the creative process.

The piece above is by Gerd Rothmann, With 81 Fingerprints- a necklace made of gold discs.

I went ahead paid the $$ for the exhibit book, which is not a light tome by any means. By the end of the day, I felt like I had been dragging around a half grown kid. If I truly enjoy a show, I will purchase the book. I’ve never understood why people take pictures in museums (photography was prohibited in this show- to boost book sales I imagine). The glass creates such a terrible reflection and getting the details is very difficult. I’ll leave it to the professionals! Bonus: the book has a fuzzy touchable orange cover. Yes, I am a sucker for good design.

If in the area, I highly recommend viewing the exhibit which ends July 6, 2008.