This thought occurred as Father’s Day looms in the UK; what a perfect present a medal would make. Thinking beyond the Dads that are praiseworthy, dear and medal-worthy though, we all deserve one. I know I want one! Especially after visiting Jean-Luc Baroni’s perfectly presented exhibition, in collaboration with The British Art Medal Society (BAMS). If you’re in London, you have just 2 days to catch this gem of a show. If not, all is not lost because the BAMS has every contact you might need, whether to buy a limited edition design or commission your very own piece of medal history.
Ariadne, obverse, 2015, by Linda Crook
Titled Works in Bronze and Other Media by Contemporary Medallists the show is noteworthy for its approachability and diverse display, not to mention the wealth of talent. Most graciously Jean-Luc Baroni, whose illustrious business usually deals in master paintings (mainly 15th to 19th Century), is waiving the usual gallery fee in favour of the artists:
“I have been delighted to be introduced to the fascinating world of medals and at the same time take pleasure, with this special exhibition, in sharing with the artists some of what life has given me through my work.”
Once Upon A Time I, II, III, IV, 2014 obverses, by Danuta Solowiej
All of the medals on display were either created or selected specifically for the show. Adding considerable interest, the exhibition also includes drawings and other artwork relating to the pieces – an extra insight into design processes and inspirations.
Walking the Tightrope of Life, obverse, 2013, by Abigail Burt
Medals have many beautiful and intriguing aspects – for a start they offer 2 faces and usually have an edge – encompassing a 3D narrative, sometimes across varying surfaces. They are also immensely tactile, without necessarily being fragile, something to hold in one’s hand, veritable little treasures. Medals are so much more than military or commemorative, although both these aspects have tremendous value – they are an ideal entrée into the art world and collecting. They offer an opportunity to buy a perfectly formed, and often affordable, miniature sculpture, in much the same way as prints allow us to dip into the world of original 2D art, without the often prohibitive expense involved in buying one-off works, or those by famous artists.
Walking the Tightrope of Life, reverse, 2013, by Abigail Burt
I was attracted to a number of the medals, notably pieces by Natasha Ratcliffe, Kyosun Jung, Jo Nadem, Kate Harrison, Robert Elderton, Marian Fountain and Philip Booth. For the purpose of this review though, I have chosen to focus on three artists, all prize winners selected by Baroni with the help of Sir Mark Jones, currently Master of St Cross College at Oxford (previously Director of the National Museums of Scotland and the Victoria and Albert Museum, prior to that Curator of Medals at The British Museum) and art historian and Renaissance scholar Rick Scorza, whose interest and enthusiasm was instrumental in instigating the show.
Once Upon A Time I, II, III, IV, 2014 reverses, by Danuta Solowiej
The criteria for selection centred around invention, execution, design, the relationship between the 2 key faces of the medals (obverse and reverse) and the difficulty in bringing each creation to life. The first prize went to Linda Crook for Ariadne, 2015, a 5 x 10.5 cm medal in bronze (edition of 25); second to Abigail Burt for Walking the Tightrope of Life, 2013, a 4.4 x 12 cm, depth 0.5 cm medal in bronze (edition of 25); and the third to Danuta Solowiej, for Once Upon a Time I, II, III, IV, 2014, diameter 7.5 cm to 9 cm (all unique pieces) whose 4 pieces in stoneware, oxide and string were described by Baroni as “provocative and interesting”.
Once Upon a Time IV, side view, 2014, by Danuta Solowiej
Solowiej, whose work is often imbued with a deep sense of mystery, likes to stretch the boundaries of materials and form, drawing ideas from a tremendous variety of sources. She describes Once Upon A Time as:
“a series of medals inspired by seals, early bookbinding, old folios, the rustling of pages, faded pigments, amulets, talismans, astrolabes, horizontal clocks… The medals are neither abstract nor figurative, the story is yet untold but there is a promise, traces of information and clues of what is contained between the obverse and the reverse.”
The British Art Medal Society, Works in Bronze and Other Media by Contemporary Medallists
Burt, who values the limitations of medallic art, which she sees as stimulating and enhancing in terms of creativity, also loves the potential for symbolism, like a versatile visual memoir, on Walking the Tightrope of Life: “A sole figure walks along the thread, trying her best to keep her balance on the ‘Tightrope of Life’.”
Crook relishes the English language, its meaning and expression and particularly enjoys the opportunity for storytelling in her work. Speaking of Ariadne: “Ariadne has the string to lead Theseus out of the labyrinth. There is a mystery: a labyrinth is not a maze – there is only one way in and out. Why the string? I asked a friend, who said, ‘a connection with the world:
I die
I am lost
bewildered
wandering
mistaken
But I can return, I know the way back if I draw the cord.’
Ariadne’s story shows the fragile connection between life and death.”
Ariadne, reverse, 2015, by Linda Crook
Philip Attwood, President of BAMS and current Keeper of Coins and Medals at the British Museum, gave one of the inspiring opening speeches to a packed gallery, testament in itself to the immense popularity of these small and in no way obscure objects of desire.
Visit the exhibition until 19th June 2015 at Jean-Luc Baroni in central London.
Find out more via the British Art Medal Society‘s website.
Text © Emma Boden
Photos © see captions for copyright owners: Linda Crook, Abigail Burt, Danuta Solowiej
