Ground: A Retrospective Exhibition of Ruudt Peters at the Massachussetts College of Art and Design, May 20-July 31, 2015.
Ornamentum Gallery presents ‘Ground: A Retrospective Exhibition of Ruudt Peters‘ at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, May 20-July 31, 2015.
Ruudt Peters uses the Alchemical concepts of Micro/Macro and Above/Below in his jewelry. Grounding is an important factor in how Peters approaches his work. Blind drawing and working from the subconscious allow him to access images other than those generated by the conscious brain. Peters’ work has evolved from his sleek cool designs in the 70’s to a more visceral approach. These works are autobiographical and render the various stages of his life. The exhibition GROUND will feature work from over 4 decades of the Ruudt Peters’ career.
Over the past four decades, Ruudt Peters has continuously challenged the traditions of jewelry as an art form. A leader of the conceptual side of the discipline, Peters is also recongized as a pioneer in exhibiting his jewelry within installations as compelling as the jewelry objects themselves. Recurring themes of alchemy and the world religions create the basis for unconventional material and form experimentation, the resulting works engaging philosophically as well as visually. As an educator, Peters has helped mold countless minds of the next generation(s) of jewelry provacateurs, having held positions at such prestigious institutions such as the Rietveld Academy (NL), Konstfack (Sweden) and Alchimia school for jewelry in Italy, in addition to lectures and workshops internationally and at his own summer academy.
The work of Ruudt Peters can be found in numerous important public and private collections including but not limited to: Stedelijk Museum (NL), Metropolitan Museum (USA), Museum of Arts & Design (USA), MFA Houston (USA), MFA Boston (USA), Victoria & Albert Museum (UK), Jewelry Museum (Pforzheim, Germany), Cooper Hewitt Museum (USA), Susan Beech (USA), Rotasa Collection Trust (USA), Sean Kelly (USA), Susan Grant Lewin (USA).