“Jewelry and stained glass are united by a mutual and profound dependence upon light” – Brian Clarke.
According to Brian Clarke, jewelry and stained glass historically share a breathless search for meaning through beauty and a desire to make life lustrous and enchanting whenever and wherever they can. Brian Clarke, the British architectural artist, painter and printmaker, is known for his large-scale stained glass and mosaic projects, abstract and symbolist canvases, and collaborations with major figures in Modern and contemporary architecture.
American luxury jeweler David Yurman renews its timeless celebration of relaxed American luxury with a tribute to Brian Clarke—the most celebrated stained-glass artist in the world today. David Yurman’s Fall 2020 campaign captures ease and emotion, bringing the new collections to life on the body. Inspired by the work of Brian Clarke, the Fall campaign injects a collage of color and light by setting David Yurman jewelry against Clarke’s inspirational works.
While Brian Clarke and David Yurman work with different mediums, they have followed similar paths in their careers. As artists, they strive to elevate their craft into an art form, working to achieve beauty through framing light and color – for Clarke, most notably in stained glass and for Yurman, in jewelry. Both artists have taken a traditional, classical viewpoint in their mediums, and applied modern technologies and innovative methods of integrating unique materials. It is their shared curiosity and attention to detail that unites them, along with their appreciation of the transformation of light as it passes through translucent materials – such as glass and gemstones.
As a family-led design house, there is an inherent continuity running through David Yurman jewelry. The collections featured in this campaign offer a range of signature designs, meaningful motifs, and one-of-a-kind pieces in an array of mixed metals and brightly hued stones. Each piece is designed to be layered together and to express the wearer’s unique style.
“Brian’s work creates a sense of euphoria… when light illuminates, it transforms darkness into a kaleidoscope of color. His works bring joy and revitalize our world, inspiring a new kind of beauty,” says cofounder and chief designer David Yurman. “Given the current state of the world, his work feels especially meaningful—the human spirit craves beauty and joy, even in the most challenging times.”
The campaign also underscores David Yurman’s title sponsorship of Brian Clarke’s ‘The Art of Light’ exhibition at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. In September 2020, Clarke’s exhibition opened to the public, presenting an immersive exhibition of radical stained glass. Animated by changing light and exuberant, saturated colors, his monumental glass screens, together with paintings, compositions in lead and related drawings, will transport audiences to the very frontier of what is possible in this centuries-old medium today.
