Quiet Elegance

Book excerpt: - First complete overview of Eleanor Moty's oeuvre - Masterful compositions with gems and metalwork - Six decades of jewelry from America Eleanor Moty (b. 1945) from the US is a seminal figure in the field of contemporary international studio jewelry. In a career that has spanned more than 50 years, she has been both a dedicated practitioner and a devoted teacher who has inspired succeeding generations of artists, collectors, and fellow professionals. She began to attract national attention in the late 1960s and early 1970s for her experiments with photoetching and electroforming metal. Later, mid-career, Moty made what seems like an abrupt shift in style and focus, with more abstract works whose designs were inspired by the natural inclusions within the non-precious gems used in their fabrication. While her works have been published in prominent books, catalogs, and journals internationally, this monograph is the first comprehensive in-depth examination of her career from its inception in 1967 through the present day.