Armband c. 1953 - 1960

This armband was made sometime in the twentieth century by Gustav Beran. I look at this piece, and I think of all the steps, the sheer labor that went into making it: the forming of the metal, the precise setting of each reddish gem, and the overall design that brings it all together. It seems impossible to imagine the artist's mindset as they worked on this piece – what were they thinking? What inspired them? In some ways, this armband is like a painting – the metalwork providing a kind of structure for the composition of gems. This way of making things—of taking an idea and giving it a physical presence—is so central to the art-making process. It’s a conversation across time, where each piece builds upon what came before, and inspires what comes next. In the end, it's about making something beautiful, even though the beauty may shift and change depending on who's looking.