Ulla + Martin Kaufmann: Different from

Tamed Forces – Gold- and Silverwork by Ulla and Martin Kaufmann

Concision and emotionality, stringency and softness, conception and dream… these are the antagonisms often used to circumscribe the secret of the gold- and silversmith couple Ulla and Martin Kaufmann. They undoubtedly belong to the protagonists of the silversmiths’ league. With their pure and tectonic language of shape, they founded their very individual style. A style not loud, but with a clear attitude: tamed forces and energetic tranquility.

The couple has been working together since 1970, producing vessels, cutlery, and jewellery in their shared studio in Hildesheim. Their special forging technique which results in curved gold- and silver bands is extraordinary in respects of design as well as in the field of craftsmanship. Using this technique “the Kaufmanns” succeed in creating works of such high tension, exploiting the very limits of the material. Besides producing their unique works and small series, Ulla and Martin Kaufmann deliberately cooperate with silver manufactories in order to rise to the challenge of industrial production.

The publication ULLA + MARTIN KAUFMANN is a coproduction of ARNOLDSCHE Art Publishers and Die Neue Sammlung in Munich. In 133 large-format colour illustrations, the book shows the works of the renowned couple. Due to the high print quality, the three-dimensional works seem almost tangible with shades of gold and silver shining in stunningly authentic splendour. The texts (written among others by jewellery expert Ellen Maurer Zilioli) introduce the reader into the works of the two important silversmiths and put them into their art-historical context.