Earrings c. 1937

Curator: These watercolor and paper works by Vincent Burzy, entitled "Earrings," dates to about 1937 and reflects the influence of the Art Deco movement. Editor: At first glance, the earrings are simple but rather elegant, don’t you think? I’m especially drawn to the concentric circles in the earring on the right. The artist makes the golden pigment absolutely glow, almost shimmering off the paper. Curator: They certainly capture an important design aesthetic, echoing trends found in architecture, fashion, and graphic arts of the time. You see this in their geometric forms, smooth lines and the streamlining of ornamentation. Think about the Chrysler Building. These earrings carry that same visual language on a much smaller scale. Editor: Exactly. Looking closely, one observes an emphasis on symmetry, verticality and clean shapes – each a defining feature of the Deco style. What can you tell me about the function and use of such designs? Curator: These watercolor works reflect how commercial artists visualized and proposed jewelry in a period where design innovation played a crucial role. Magazines of the time were filled with sketches, highlighting these types of modern design, making such beauty available to new audiences. So there was an evolving visual vocabulary and language surrounding ornamentation. Editor: Indeed. These designs feel incredibly chic even today, don’t you think? There’s a clarity and boldness that feels simultaneously classic and progressive. They almost embody the aspirational feel of their era. Curator: I agree, it’s easy to understand the period’s obsession with glamour and modernity. It also signals jewelry’s ability to stand as markers of status and aspiration in the early- to mid-20th century. These types of design would have been targeted to specific social classes that celebrated progress and social evolution through a lens of elegance. Editor: These earring illustrations, like so many artworks, contain not just aesthetic information, but cultural information too. Wonderful! Curator: Agreed! They help us connect tangible artifacts with the culture and politics that gave shape to material life.