ELISABETH HOLDER: FROM JEWELLERY TO CONT Format: Paperback

From Jewellery to Contextual Art presents the stunning work of the artist and professor Elisabeth Holder and showcases her unique evolution. Text in English and German.

From Jewellery to Contextual Art presents the work of the artist and professor Elisabeth Holder and showcases her unique evolution. Coming from a classical goldsmithing background, she placed jewelry in relation to ancient signs and the ornamentation that emerged from them, pursuing the examination of materials in the charged arena between mastery and dialogue, and posing the fundamental question of what jewelry is and can be. This led to a paradigm shift. Jewelry was recontextualized. Illustrated with examples from fields such as architecture and nature, it becomes clear that such jewelry forms are never excessive and are at once Contextual art.

Text in English and German.

Classical goldsmith’s training, including a master craftsperson’s diploma, was not enough for Elisabeth Holder (b. 1950). She graduated with a diploma in jewelry and design from the University of Applied Sciences in Düüseldorf and also a master’s degree from the Royal College of Art in London. Her time as a freelance jewelry designer in London was by then bound to teaching assignments and lectureships, the last being at the Royal College of Art. After her appointment as a professor of jewelry design at the Design Faculty of Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, her focus shifted to teaching and research. She gave up her teaching posts in 2017 and lives and works in Erkrath, near Düsseldorf.