On occasion of Munich Jewellery Week, Quittenbaum Gallery is presenting jewelry and design by Dutch designer Herman Hermsen. The exhibition ‘Traveling Path’ includes examples of his work from five decades – necklaces, brooches, rings as well as brooch-picture combinations and some design objects. A video portrait accompanies the exhibition
Since the 1980s, Herman Hermsen has been known for radically innovative jewelry designs that break with the traditional norms of jewelry as a status symbol. Using lacquered steel wire, aluminum or plastics, the designer creates one-of-a-kind pieces as well as serial editions.
“In general, my way of working regarding all designs is based on a reinterpretation of the product in question.” An early example of this is the famous series of minimalist chokers made of painted aluminum (1982). The starting point is a hoop that is first dissected into three or even four equal parts and then reassembled at different angles, creating a new geometric form that reaches into space, close to minimalism in art.
Herman Hermsen’s designs often reflect artistic and theoretical discourses of their time of origin, such as the questions concerning the role of the unique piece and the concept of democratic jewelry. Important are also the titles of his works, which not only illustrate his delight in linguistic wit, but often open up a further intellectual ironic interpretation space for the viewer.
There are certain key elements that can be traced through out all the work of Herman Hermsen:
Minimalist design, the employment of innovative techniques and a rejection of traditional ideas about jewellery as status symbol.
