Topic • Most influential historical metalsmith or metalsmithing tradition

Participant members Blogs are listed at the end of the page as well as a place to comment.

Uh oh, I wasn’t ready for this one.

It’s actually a fairly easy question for me to answer.  It’s absolutely my father, Earl Pardon.  As many of you may know he played a vital part in the post World War Two Art Jewelry movement.  I think you could safely say his main impact was in the art of enameling and bring color into the field.  Examples can be seen here on my website by clicking on the Earl Pardon Portfolio above.  You can also find out more about him in virtually any book on mid 20th century modernist jewelry.

Growing up surrounded by his work and his student’s work; obviously I didn’t have a chance.  Ha!  One reason that I think about is that in the early 50’s you could almost count the number of Art Metals people on your fingers and maybe into your toes.  There were hardly any books on Art Jewelry at all.  Most of the influences then were coming from Europe.  So as a child I saw my father’s work as what jewelry is supposed to be.  I didn’t know what all that other stuff was out there, just adornment I guess.

I resisted going into the field for a long time.  I was so rebellious I went into ceramics at Alfred University and came out the other end as a painter.  I’m laughing.  Rebellious? Eventually he got me interested in enameling at the beginning of the 80’s.  Then by 1986 I was his apprentice working for him for 4 years before he died in 1990.  That was the extent of my jewelry education.  I also learned never work for a member of your family.  Ha!!  Only kidding.  He was a task master though.  It was like old school.  Starting out with menial work then moving up to making work according to his specifications and then allowing me to make suggestions and carry them out.

In my early work you can most definitely see a very direct influence because I was using his techniques.  I would work for him by day and then on my own work nights and weekends.  It wasn’t until after his death that i had grown into my own way of working.  I still carry his influences with me though.  It’s in the genes.

Participants:

                                      Lora Hart

Elaine Luther

                                                                   Kirsten Skiles

                                                              Marco Fleseri

                                       Angela Crispin

                                      Sherri Haab

 

Tamra Gentry

                                              Chris Parry

Lorrene Davis

                                                       Tonya Davidson

    

Tod Pardon (You Are Here)