Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Techno Romantic Jewelry by Thomas Mann

Louisiana artist Thomas Mann has been represented by Gallery Fifty from the beginning. You could even say he had a hand in its creation, but more about that later.

Tom describes himself as an artist working in the medium of jewelry and sculpture. I describe him as the father of art jewelry. For over thirty years he has reshaped the way we think about ornamentation, and has elevated great design with non-precious materials to the status of fine jewelry. His one-off pieces are highly collectable and we've done extremely well with his limited production line.

Tom's primary design vocabulary combines industrial aesthetics and materials and with evocative romantic themes and imagery. He calls this design system "Techno Romantic." Though it is not the only design mode in which he works, it is the one for which he is best known.

The artist lives and works in New Orleans where he oversees a jewelry design and production studio, a sculpture studio and gallery.

Please contact us for more information: 231-932-0775.

Note: I took a week-long class from Tom at Peters Valley Craft School in July 2004. I'd been planning to open a gallery, but still had serious concerns. Not only was he an excellent instructor, he was an invaluable resource for my gallery questions. I left the school with several beautiful Thomas Mann knock-off designs and renewed ambition. We opened Gallery Fifty at the Commons five months later.