Allison Curates the Jewelry of Erich Zimmermann and Gitta Pielcke

Artist list

Gitta Pielcke, Erich Zimmermann

Together in art jewelry, the artists build a multifaceted marriage of nature and creativity. Expressions are imagined in an incubation of craft, spurred by their separate and united drive to enhance the handmade. Culminating into a pairing of dedicated spirit and passion, one can understand the necessity for both closeness and solitary in such resonant works of art.

Zimmermann’s signature works found at Patina include those in his Cocoon and Cleopatra collections and are celebrated with multiple awards and in many exhibitions from Europe to the United States. He is a three-time winner of the Modern Jewelry Collection with Art Aurea, the recipient of the 2007 Town & Country Design Award in gold, and the recipient of the coveted Red Dot Design Award for his unique Cleopatra collection.

Composing his Cocoon Collection, Zimmermann utilizes an anticlastic technique to forge hollow, three-dimensional pieces of precious metal. Pieces are cut into flat, leaf-like shapes that are then hammered onto a mold, thereby fondly alluding to seashells or seed pods. Elements are assembled with hidden clasps and wires to structure a pleasing fixation for the eye. Zimmermann’s Cleopatra Collection also utilizes multiple pieces to assemble the larger whole. The artist is revered for his sophisticated attention to detail. With exacting pieces, composed of many measured elements in shape and form, he makes and imagines jewelry that eloquently pairs with the body. 

Allison and I began working together 12 years ago, and since then, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Santa Fe four times, and have welcomed Allison and Ivan to our atelier in 2019. Gitta and I work together side by side and deeply appreciate Allison and Ivan’s understanding of artists working in a year of challenges and uncertainty, being artists themselves. This year, I have more time in the studio, largely with the materials I already had. I found I could do a lot of things I wanted to do before. I could feel inside that it is here that I find peace of mind.
/Erich Zimmermann

Pielcke’s organic themes have evolved into a significant part of her work, born from the interaction, abilities, and constraints of sterling silver and high karat gold. To their smooth surfaces, she adheres miniature forms, carved and shaped into the likeness of blossoming roses, the elongated, elegant curves in strands of grass, or the subtle, yet whimsical swirls in a snail’s shell. 
 
The artist has exhibited worldwide, from Germany to the U.S. to Tokyo and Hong Kong. She is the winner of the 2011 Modern Jewelry Collection from Art Aurea and has works in many well-known jewelry publications, including Schmuck-Design der Moderne (Modern Jewelry Design), among others.

For many years, irrespective of any design ideologies, I have been studying the plant and animal worlds to illustrate that life, which is inherent in nature, is infused into my jewelry creations… I am inspired by nature’s structures. Its organic design allows me to create irregular strip reliefs, which restore the original aura of the gold and silver that I use…
/ Gitta Pielcke