A rare pair of Annemarie Davidson copper enamel Zebra design trays artworks circa 1960.
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a SPECTACULAR vintage 1950s handmade copper enamel abstract modernist Galactic Cluster or Microbiology design platter/artwork by California artist/enamelist Annemarie Davidson (1920-2012) of Sierra Madre, California. Super vivid coloring and super eye-catching modernist design resembling stained glass globules on a field of black. Is it a galactic cluster? Or a slide of microscopic creatures swimming in a Petri dish? Or an amazing Pointillism stained glass creation? I can't say for sure, but it's amazing! The only example of this design that I have seen! I am guessing that this is one of her earliest works from the late 1950s because the gauge of copper used is much heavier than any I have held before, and the artist mark at back is hand drawn in the enamel not done with a stencil like you see in later pieces. (See the short biography below for other indications of the work being an earlier one.) Extraordinary size at 11" diameter makes this a real collector coup! Measures 11" diameter by about 3/4" high at rim. Still retains original artist sticker at back, along with her signature, a conjoined AD. The front side is near flawless with just a couple very very light surface abrasions that aren't at all noticeable when displayed. Also, at back there are three indentations along the rim from being hung on the wall, and some light crazing to the enamel in a couple spots. No loss to the enamel at all. Excellent vintage condition with the above caveats but no damage or detractors whatsoever as shown
Born in Berlin in 1920, Annemarie Behrendt moved with her family to New York in 1936. In 1957, while her husband was on sabbatical at Harvard University, Davidson studied briefly with the prominent enamelist Doris Hall at a community center in Cambridge. While Hall worked in a broad range of styles, from nonrepresentational to figurative, it was her brilliantly colored abstract work that most deeply influenced Davidson. Davidson’s earlier work, done between 1957 and 1959, reflects that influence in its sparkling color and vivid decoration. Her work was selected for the prestigious Decorative Arts and Ceramics Exhibition at the Wichita Art Association in 1958, and it was featured in several of the pioneering California Design exhibitions at the Pasadena Art Museum in the early 1960s. In 1961 three of her works were reproduced in the catalogue for California Design 6. Throughout her long and richly productive career, Davidson has created forms intended for everyday use, which she decorates with spare abstract patterns or the free-form organic shapes that she calls “jewels.” For many of her abstract compositions, she uses a sgraffito technique, incising straight lines into the enamel, which fan out from a central focal point and present a linear counterpoint to the more fluid sculptural forms of her “jewels.” Davidson has collaborated with fellow artist Blaine Rath since 1959. Rath creates beautifully crafted boxes in a wide variety of woods, in which Davidson mounts her elegantly proportioned enamels. Her approach is in keeping with the designer-craftsman aesthetic, as she explained in an interview published in the Cross-Country Craftsman in 1962: “My philosophy of work is simple: I try to create something colorful and decorative in order to make small objects, necessary in the home, beautiful.”
A super rare early Annemarie Davidson copper enamel artwork circa 1950s - is it a galactic cluster, or a view thru a microscope, or a pointillist stained glass design?
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#annemariedavidson #enamel #enamelart #art #californiadesign #oneofakind #artwork
A striking vintage 1960s handmade copper enamel on wood Op Art Moiré abstract modernist design box by California artist/enamelist Annemarie Davidson of Sierra Madre, California. Super vivid coloring and super eye-catching Op Art moiré pattern inspired design! Born in Berlin in 1920, Davidson came to the US in the mid 1930s, and took up her residence in California in the mid 1940s where she spent the rest of her life creating striking and unique enamel works of art! (For a great biography of the artist take a look at "The Enamels of Annemarie Davidson" by Bernard N. Jazzar and Harold B. Nelson on the Ganoksin metal arts website.) Measures 5" by 5" at top by 2.25" high at edges. Still bears the original artist sticker at the bottom as shown in the photos. The wood section of the box was made by Blaine Rath who collaborated with Davidson often on boxes, bookends, and other projects. There is some very slight separation in one corner of the bottom wood section which is not at all noticeable when displayed but is shown in my third photo closeup of the side, and is no doubt just natural warping of the wood over time from the drying process. Excellent vintage condition with the above caveat and as shown.
One of a kind box
copper enamel on wood
circa 1960s
Annemarie Davidson
Sierra Madre, California
Available...
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#handmade #copperenamel #opart #moiré #annemariedavidson #california #enamel #enamelart #art #oneofakind #box #californiadesign #californiamodern #craft
A wonderful 1960s Annemarie Davidson copper enamel modernist artwork.
Available...
www.rubylane.com/item/1879775...
#enamel #enamelart #handmade #copperenamel #americancraft #metalsmith #vintageenamelart #vintage1960s #annemariedavidson #california #californiamodern #californiadesign #art
one of three works by Virgil Cantini available in my store - a rare and lovely vintage 1960s handmade copper enamel modernist Flowers design brooch by American enamelist/sculptor Virgil Cantini of Pittsburgh, PA. An outstanding example of his enamelwork, and his jewelry is exceedingly rare! Here's a short bio of the artist that I found online: ------------- Virgil David Cantini (February 28, 1919 – May 2, 2009) was an American enamelist, sculptor and educator. He was well known for innovation with enamel and steel and received both local and national recognition for his work, including honorary awards, competitive prizes and commissions, along with a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1957. Cantini long served as a faculty member at the University of Pittsburgh, where he helped to create the Department of Studio Arts. A longtime resident of the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Cantini died on May 2, 2009 at the age of 90. Today, many of his large scale works are on display throughout the city of Pittsburgh. ------------- See my last image for a photo of the artist in his prime. No doubt a one of a kind enamel artwork to wear! Measures 1.5" diameter. Marked "Cantini" at back in the counter-enamel as shown.
One of several pieces I have by this artist available in my shop right now - an extremely rare and wonderful miniature work of copper enamel art by famed California silversmith/enamelist James Parker of San Diego, California. Parker (1914-1987 USA) was first inspired to create modernist jewelry in 1939 on visiting the Georg Jensen shop in London and viewing some of their more sculptural and spare creations, and by the 1950s he was widely lauded for his original and creative jewelry designs that often included enamel. He was a member of the Allied Craftsmen of San Diego, and later of the Enamel Guild as well, and showed his work in several shows each year in the San Diego area, and also at national-level shows including the California Design exhibitions in Pasadena and at Craftsmanship in a Changing World, the inaugural exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in NYC in 1956 by the American Craft Council. This particular artwork is dated 1969 and has a dedication by the artist "For Peggy for Oct 8, 1969" and is signed on the back papers "J. Parker". This enamel artwork reminds me of disparate sources including the 'flowers' series by Andy Warhol from earlier in the 1960s, and of Japanese art particularly how the flowers and stems are outlined in black for more contrast from the background. This effect was achieved by cutting through the enamel to the copper below, and then patinating the copper black. A small but quite attractive artwork by this titan of the California enamel art scene of the 1950s and 60s! Measures 2-3/4" wide by 1-5/8" tall, and the frame measures 3-3/4" wide by 2-5/8" tall at the outside edges. Signed by the artist on the back papers.
One of several works I have by this enamel artist in my shop right now - a lovely vintage 1950s 60s handmade copper enamel modernist Floral design plate/artwork by Annemarie Davidson (1920-2012, USA) of Sierra Madre, California. Absolutely gorgeous, colorful, and yet stylized and utterly modernist image of vibrant flowers in various stages of bloom! This piece reminds me so much of the Flowers series by Andy Warhol from the same era, and also another enamel piece that I have for sale currently by James Parker, also of California. Davidson was born in Germany, but moved to the US with her family, and later studied with prominent American enamelist Doris Hall and later with Curtis Tann in the 1950s, and is considered to be in the first rank of American enamel artists of the 20th century. Very attractive design and in such vibrant colors by Davidson, and in immaculate condition! Measures 7.75" diameter by about 1" high at rim, and weighs about a pound prior to packing. Marked at back with her signature in the enamel, and an original sticker as shown in my photos. Excellent vintage condition with just fine light wear from display but no loss or damage to the enamel whatsoever as shown.
Colorful spring flowers are always a joy! Some of the enamel artworks available in my shop right now...
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#enamel #enamelart #virgilcantini #jamesparker #annemariedavidson #vintageenamelart #modernistenamelart #copperenamel #vintagemodern #modernism #moderndesign
