Berenice Geoffroy-Schneiter

A tribute to French jewelry designer Jean Dinh Van who, in 1965, created a brand that defied all expectations, with innovative pieces designed to be worn by all. An iconoclast by nature, French jeweler Jean Dinh Van worked metal by hand like a sculptor, guided by his instinctive creative impulse. With a modernist vision, he designed jewelry imbued with style that could be worn with anything, anywhere, anytime. He took jewelry “into the streets” with models like the handcuff bracelet that transgressed and revolutionized the traditional codes of Paris’s famed high jewelry district, the Place Vendôme. Dinh Van, the “geometer of jewelry,” placed shape and form at the center of his innovative style. Photographs of his iconic works reveal his distinctive vocabulary, from his predilection to the void to his sublimation of ordinary objects—razor blades, military ID tags, thumbtacks—to his interpretation of the rounded square or the chain link. His artistic flair led to collaborations with many artists and couture designers, including Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, and Thierry Mugler. Published to celebrate the brand’s sixtieth anniversary, this monograph recounts the history of the groundbreaking jewelry designer, his emblematic creations, and how Maison Dinh Van continues to draw inspiration from his legacy, adapting his revolutionary codes to the modern day.

From cave painting to aboriginal body art--the first tattoos--and from statues to masks, this volume covers the spectrum of tribal art and sets misconceptions straight. Gauguin, Picasso, and Giacometti were inspired by it--but what exactly is tribal art? Exposing old cliches and outdated ideas, this clearly written and vividly illustrated volume explains the art form's key concepts--from the basics of material and form, to underlying beliefs--and takes the reader through its history, geography, and techniques, from the bright blue statues of the Solomon Islands to pre-Colombian abstract feather artwork. A section on the artists and movements inspired by tribal art attests to its lasting influence, while an illustrated list of the world's thirty most significant works of tribal art allows the reader to discover their impact firsthand. A glossary of terms, a list of where to see tribal art, and a chronology of major ethnological expeditions and exhibitions complete this indispensable guide to the world's oldest art form.