Chain Reactions: Claartje Keur’s jewellery and portrait

Artist list

Gijs Assmann, Gijs Bakker, Ralph Bakker, Laura Bakker, Peggy Bannenberg, Ela Bauer, Dinie Besems, Rob Birza, Onno Boekhoudt, Bas Bouman, Laura Braspenning, Mecky van den Brink, Paul Derrez, Nicolas Dings, Jacomijn van der Donk, Iris Eichenberg,   Sita Falkena, Jantje Fleischhut, Hilde Foks, Helen Frik, Marijke de Goey, Willemijn de Greef, Gesine Hackenberg, Petra Hartmann, Ineke Heerkens, Maria Hees, Marion Hebst, Herman Hermsen, Peter Hoogeboom, Hans Hovy, Stephanie Jendi, Rian de Jong, Beppe Kessler, Beate Klockmann, Danielle Koninkx, Manon van Kouswijk, Birgit Laken, Emmy van Leersum, Felieke van der Leest, Nel Linssen, Lous Martin, Julie Mollenhauer, Chequita Nahar, Riet Neerincx, Evert Nijland, Ted Noten, Carla Nuis, Ruudt Peters, Annelie Planteydt, Katja Prins, Mi-Ah Rödiger, Liesbeth Rommers, Maria Roosen, Philip Sajet, Nina Sajet, Lucy Sarneel, Rob Scholte, Constanze Schreiber, Robert Smit, Chris Steenbergen, Thea Tolsma, Terhi Tolvanen, Miriam Verbeek, Truike Verdegaal, Carel Visser, Marcel Wanders, Marieke Wijers, Lam de Wolf, Reka Fekete, Wim Vonk

What started with a few silver chains and pendants in the 1970s, grew into a unique collection of jewellery. Claartje Keur (1938) has been collecting jewellery for over thirty years, specialising in neck jewellery. From 30 January until 30 March 2014 CODA Museum exhibits seventy necklaces from her collection. The exhibition combines this neck jewellery with the photo portraits of designers Claartje Keur made over the years.

Claartje Keur started her jewellery collection by buying a brooch designed by Sita Falkena from gallery Ra in Amsterdam in 1983. Three years later this was followed by a necklace and bracelet by Emmy van Leersum, and in 1990 Keur made her first big neck jewellery purchase. In 1998, her collection consisted of thirty necklaces made by renowned jewellery designers. Today, the collection encompasses seventy pieces of neck jewellery from the best-known artists and jewellery designers.

Claartje Keur’s interest in neck jewellery goes back to her students days (Technical College, chemical technology) when she was given a necklace with a wrought-iron pendant in the shape of a small man. This pendant comforted her in difficult times. According to Keur, neck jewellery does not only act as a talisman, it also poses a challenge to both the maker and the wearer. How does it sit on the body? How does it change your aura?

Even though her collection now consists of more than seventy necklaces, collecting was not Keur’s original aim. “I did make a very conscious decision to spend money on jewellery, but at first it was mainly out of interest. You simply turn into a collector at a certain point; usually when others describe you as such.” Buying jewellery is a matter of taste, preference, personal contacts, and of course budget. Keur is interested in modern art and photography and has a preference for neck jewellery designed by artists who have graduated from Dutch academies. Diversity of materials was also an important factor. Keur: “I buy from as many artists as possible, in as many (unusual) materials as possible. I abhor ‘things on strings’, and I am not all that keen on gold.” The Chain Reactions exhibition in CODA Museum shows how each purchase is a reaction to the previous jewel, and predicts elements, shapes or materials in the next piece.

Being a photographer, Keur photographed the jewellery makers whose work she bought from the beginning. “Taking photos in the artist’s studio led to more contact with the artist. That really added value for me.” In addition to the portrait of the jewellery maker, Keur always makes a self-portrait in which she wears the necklace she acquired. The photo shows how the jewel looks when worn, how it sits on the body, and it gives an indication of size. “Because I nearly always choose an urban setting for a background, the jewel becomes less pretentious. It says ‘you can wear this jewel any time’. I turn this photo into two postcards; one for the artist, one for me.” These postcards are also integrated into the exhibition.

The contact and the bond with the artist have added meaning to the collection for Claartje Keur. It makes her collection, which charts the development of the Dutch jewel over the past thirty years, unique.-2016-2016