Metal sculptures from the 60’s/ 70’s have been popular for a while, I have seen a lot around the markets and now in also high-end establishments. A lot of the work I see is by the Californian partnership of Jerry Fels and Curtis Freiler. Started in the late 1950s, through the 1960s to the late 1970s, the work is very distinctive from the 60’s/70’s era in particular taking on motifs inspired by nature, town scenes, starbursts and some almost “atomic” structures. Many people have thought that it was the work of only one individual Curtis Jere but although they kept their identities mysterious, it was in fact the two artists working together. As their work became more popular and the demand higher, they employed craftsmen to produce the wall art under their instruction.
Today at the markets I found a piece that could be Curtis Jere? It could also be the work of another artist from the same era Mark Weinstein that had a similar aesthetic or it could just be evocative of both? It is a metal sunflower, not a huge piece but stands about a yard high. I would of course love to own a larger distinctive piece such as their “birds” or “branches”, but these are incredibly expensive now to buy, this gem cost me only $20. Like many things I find, it is a springboard for researching the item and seeing where I can weave it into a photo shoot.
Jonathan Adler has loved these sculptures for years and now has access to the C Jere Studio having forged an exclusive relationship with them to produce pieces for his stores, You can check it out on http://www.jonathanadler.com, Otherwise keep your eyes alert for possibilities while flea market shopping, I know I will be!
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