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PEOPLE + IDEAS
Jewelry DESIGN
Precious Metals
An inside look at the wearable art
of Christy Klug Studios
by Bristel Bowen
The union between fine art and craft
has never been simple and is often misunderstood. Fine art is by nature luxurious, contemporary, and seemingly unattainable for most.
While craft is considered a form of creation for
the people—it’s simple, classic and candid.
When Christy Klug, a self-taught metal
smith, took on the world of wearable art, she
wasn’t under any illusion that it would be easy.
“I strive to bridge the gap between fine art and
craft,” said Christy. “It’s an intersection that
has always intrigued me because of the challenge of producing pieces that are contemporary yet timeless. I’m constantly evolving to
marry the intimate scale and personal quality
of jewelry with art. ”
Christy was inspired to design jewelry
after studying stained glass at the School of the
Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. In discovering
how the stained glass artists of post-World War
II Germany manipulated the lead between their
panes in such a way that the lead itself became
a central artistic element, she was driven to
explore the power of tension and line and apply
it to other things. She eventually found a medium to express that power in a way that was
feminine and wearable for everyday.
Using her skills as a sketch artist, she
could create pieces of art that could be worn
as a form of expression. For Christy, the act of
creating is very intimate and personal, much
like the act of purchasing a coveted piece of
Photo: Sam Klug
Artist Christy Klug in her Austin, Texas studio.
She uses charcoal sketch and stained glass as
a form of inspiration for her work in metals.
jewelry for most women. In her Austin, Texas
studio, Christy creates very small quantities of
finely crafted pieces that are contemporary, yet
calm and subtle. Her collection includes earrings, necklaces, pins, rings, cuffs and pendants.
Each is a piece of art that becomes more interesting the longer you wear it.
“One of my clients shared a story with me
about the experience of wearing my jewelry. She
said she saw another woman wearing one of my
pieces while out at a restaurant, and the two of
them were immediately drawn to one another.
They knew right away that they had something
in common, and it became an instant point of
pride and conversation,” Christy said. “I’m
always so amazed and flattered to hear those
stories—it really speaks to the power of wearing
something you feel truly beautiful in, something
you know is uniquely strong and intimate at the
same time. That’s what wearable art is to me.”
While most of Christy’s clients are women,
many men approach her during shows and have
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE
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PEOPLE + IDEAS
Jewelry DESIGN
Photo: Joelle Andrew
From top left clockwise:
Christy’s initial sketches
compliment the finished pieces
on her workbench. Christy
uses a tree stump as the
perfect work surface for her
craft. Works in progress in
Christy’s studio.
Despite the rigor and
discipline it takes to master
the craft of metal-smithing
and enamel work, Christy
never lets the technique
determine the look of the
finished piece.
even commissioned custom pieces. Often, other
artists will seek her out to commission a piece as
well. For example, the Choral Conductor for the
Grant Park Music Festival at Millennium Park
in Chicago purchased a pin from Christy at a
show and then commissioned a second piece to
wear on his lapel while he conducts. A friend of
that conductor then commissioned a third piece
to present as a gift to honor his 15th year conducting. The conductor loved Christy’s sketches
so much that she included them with the custom
pin. For many, it’s that fully-transparent, almost
narrative creative process that goes into each
piece that makes Christy’s work so appealing.
“Metal and enamel work has a strong,
masculine element to it—it feels down to earth
in way that appeals to men as well as women.
I love that men can use my work to accessorize
in a way—to be fully, individually expressive—and still feel like themselves. Women, on
the other hand, feel feminine and honest. The
experience of wearable art is fluid, and that’s
what makes it art.”
Statement Pieces
Photo: Hap Sakwa
Christy’s work is currently
on display in galleries
across the country,
including Patina Gallery
in Santa Fe, De Novo
Gallery in Palo Alto and
the Houston Center for
Contemporary Craft.
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CONTEMPORARY CULTURE//MAGAZINE
Photo: Joelle Andrew
For Christy, the act of creation is intensely
personal. She visits museums, peruses art books
and magazine, draws and sketches. In the end,
it is important to her that the work feel good on,
be beautiful, and be feminine—none of which
would come easy, for most, when manipulating
metal and melting enamel from it’s roughest form into stylized, custom pieces. But for
Christy, it has become innate—a quality that
shows in every piece.
Because of its surprising universal appeal
and unrivaled technical merit, Christy’s work
has been showcased in galleries and shows
across the country and internationally, from
Sao Paulo, Brazil to Montreal, Canada to
Sante Fe, New Mexico and New York, New
York. She has won numerous awards, and will
participate in the upcoming SOFA Exposition
in Chicago in October, as well as the Smithsonian Craft2Wear show and the Philadelphia
Museum of Art Craft Show.
Despite the rigor and discipline it takes to
master the craft of metal-smithing and enamel
Photo: Artist
Pink Pin
Photo: Sam Klug
Christopher Bell Pin
work, Christy never lets the technique determine
the look of the finished piece. That’s where the
fine art element of her work constantly reappears; the ultimate goal is to create something
beautiful and subtle, not something that is
overworked and impersonal.
“Perhaps because I’m self-taught, it has
been pure artistic passion that’s driven me to
master the technique, materials and design of
handcrafted jewelry. Even in this stage of my career, I feel that I’ve recently crossed a threshold
of technical execution that allows me to pursue
my creative vision without limits.”
“I’m constantly rewarded by the creation
of wearable art—it’s an organic process that celebrates the confident individual who seeks out
and selects jewelry to highlight her own sense
of style and drama. Everyone craves that type of
honest beauty, and I’m inspired to craft it.”
For more information on shows and galleries
where you can view Christy Klug’s work, visit
www.christyklug.com.
Photo: Artist
Photo: Artist
Split Bomb Choker
Big Bangle