Art Smith's Modern Cuff Jewelry Explored in Elephant Magazine Feature

Kitty Lees writes for Elephant magazine about a Modern Cuff bracelet created around 1948 by Art Smith. The piece is constructed from brass sheets connected with twisted rods, creating an asymmetrical design. Smith was a prominent artist in New York's studio jewelry movement from the 1940s to 1970s, based in Greenwich Village. His work represented a modernist departure from traditional fine jewelry, favoring materials like copper and brass over precious stones and employing handcrafted techniques. Smith's artistic influences included Surrealism, African sculpture, Alexander Calder's abstract forms, and jazz music's rhythms and emotional qualities. As an openly gay Black artist, he navigated social constraints while developing a unique visual language through organic metal shapes sometimes accented with semi-precious stones. The cuff design emphasizes negative space, allowing visibility of the wearer's skin and creating a dynamic relationship between object and body. The article highlights how Smith's jewelry reflects musical qualities through its forms and encourages bold self-expression.