Daniel Brush: Jewels Sculpture

Daniel Brush: Jewels Sculpture is unlike any other monograph within the genre of fine jewelry. There is a host of factors that set this book apart from others, which include materials, stones, the incredible inspirations, and the almost OCD compulsion of the artist to teach himself techniques that are far removed from what we know as Haute Joallier. Then there is the fact that his oeuvre is incomparable to any other.

Unquestionably Daniel Brush is an intellect, a researcher, a craftsman, a thinker, a driven man, but most of all he is a rarity within the world of fine jewelry. At times, his work takes on an almost a brutalist façade, and then at other times time there are groups that take on the appearance of being centuries old or referencing the techniques of the heritage brands. There was something about Brush’s philosophy that reminds one of Otto Jakob: both are neither traditional jewelry makers nor are they formally trained. Both men see their work from an extremely different point of view unlike the great masters of high jewelry.

At first, the reader may believe that this is one of those pedantic, esoteric, and praise laden volumes dedicated to a specific, rather unknown, creator. But the reader must allow themselves to continue; they will soon be  absorbed in the story and the entire mindset of this man.

In this age of commercialism and Internet sales, can you imagine that myriad pieces photographed in this book are not available online nor in any brick and mortar establishment? This reader came away with the conclusion that Daniel Brush had to be able to teach himself and to prove to himself that he was capable of doing what no one else or very few have ever done before: creating based on thoughts and intellect rather than on the salability or appeal of the works.

In the end, Daniel Brush: Jewels Sculpture is absolutely fascinating, engrossing, and educational in its telling of the how and why this man operates and creates. This reader is rarely interested in the inspirations behind fashion or jewelry, but after consuming this volume, he is a believer in the “need to know.” So anyone who wishes to truly broaden their horizons and breadth of knowledge when it comes to fine jewelry and “objets de vertu” then this is a must for your library and something to stimulate the senses.