Cultural historian Claudia Lehner-Jobst in the art journal "Parnass", October/November 2005, issue 4/2005, p. 150-151:

The quality of an idea
15 years of Galerie Slavik

Claudia Lehner-Jobst

It was a kind of calling, fifteen years ago, that prompted Renate Slavik to leave the world of antiques and embark on a new professional course taking her into the realm of contemporary applied art. Very soon the gallery in Vienna’s Himmelpfortgasse started to specialise in contemporary jewellery art, a domain in which it has earned itself a noteworthy international reputation over these last 15 years.

Despite their great variety, the exhibits showcased in the suspended class cabinets in the gallery’s compellingly dynamic interior designed by Tomas and Edmund Hoke clearly bespeak the quality concept of the gallery owner in her choice of works by established and upcoming artists. Singularity and transparency of meaning are a key element for Renate Slavik, be it in works made of paper, gold or diamonds. More than anything else, the works, which are always one-off pieces, draw their value from the uniqueness of the idea behind them. That these basic concepts are always realised with perfect technical craftsmanship goes without saying.

Many of the artists have remained faithful to the gallery throughout these fifteen years; many have come on board in the course of time. Renate Slavik never shies the effort of keeping informed of developments at art fairs and competitions and tracking young and upcoming artists. The promotion of young artists is one of her great concerns, as evidenced by the Grassi Award bestowed by the Grassi Museum in Leipzig, which has been endowed by Galerie Slavik for three years now. Renate Slavik has chaperoned quite a number of young artists through their first steps into the international art scene.

For Renate Slavik, happiness is being a first-hand witness to the boundless realm of creativity and its manifold surprises. The international recognition she has gained for her work is a rewarding confirmation of what she sees as her basic mission: communicating jewellery art to the gallery's visitors as miniature works of sculpture and "art to wear".

Jacqueline Ryan is one of the most remarkable artists represented by Galerie Slavik. Following her graduation with a Master of Arts from the Royal College of Art in London in 1992, Ryan moved to Umbria, Italy, where she has lived ever since. The artist defines the sense and purpose of jewellery art: "My pieces are made not just to be exhibited, but to be worn, because it is in the interaction between the wearer and the jewellery object that the latter is awakened to its function and comes alive."

The works of Jacqueline Ryan mirror the artist's love of nature and her interest in the veneration of nature in ancient cultures such as those of the Egyptians and Etruscans. The art of these cultures achieves a kind of universal aesthetic we still perceive as timeless to this day. This timelessness makes their works appear infinitely precious. And "timeless" is also a fitting description of Jacqueline Ryan's brooches, which breathe the air of fleeting impressions of nature. Enamel is the favoured technique of this artist, who thrives on confronting all kinds of challenges in the realisation of her ideas - from their conception on paper to their perfectly crafted execution in gold. The result is light and playful, and its fascinating execution shows no trace of the artist’s technical "walks on the wild side" (picture 2).

The Catalan jewellery artist Joaquim Capdevila, who created 60 goblets to celebrate his 60th birthday in 2004 with an anniversary exhibition at Galerie Slavik (PARNASS 2/2004), is increasingly evolving as an adept of simple forms, which give his works a touch of timelessness. Capdevila’s new series of brooches - "Counterpoints" - follows an imaginary line from the project drawings of Leonardo da Vinci to the paintings of Marc Rothko, from pure drawing to pure painting. Basic geometric forms executed in gold and silver are brought to life by subtle irregularities, engravings and brush-painted colours. The artist works his metal surfaces spontaneously and directly, leaving room for emotion (picture 3).

Catalan jewellery art has never been content with cool minimalism, but in recent years this tendency towards a more emotional approach to materials has been observed in northern Europe as well. Sharp edges and antagonism between form and material seem to be a thing of the past. Colour is no longer an obstacle. Thus other artists are also experimenting with pictorial elements; Maria Rosa Franzin, for instance, whose works come across as an artistic gesture, a kind of "action painting" on metal (picture 4).

The jewellery of the Italian artist Stefano Marchetti likewise boasts pictorial and refreshingly spontaneous traits. His work is based on highly intricate craftsmanship, a laborious technique merging precious metals of different colours into mosaic-like patterns, producing fine sheets of metal of seemingly archaic texture which he forms into expressive objects (picture 5).

The list of artists on show at Galerie Slavik is long, and only a few of them can be highlighted here. The current anniversary exhibition features new works by many more artists whose further development will be a pleasure to watch.