A scene in the middle of the film The Lion In Winter depicts captive 12th century English Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine at her dressing table, surrounded by the various and sundry baubles befitting a female monarch of the Middle Ages. She chooses a ring with which to bribe her guard. Like the stones which built the surrounding castle, her jewelry seems roughly-hewn and elemental - ostentatious for its boldness rather than the intricacy of its detail. Size certainly mattered, with large jewels held fast by large metal bands. She was, after all, Queen.
Flash forward to the 20th century and "modern" design. The very term (and its derivatives) has different connotations, depending on the specific field of endeavor, be it architecture, painting, jewelry, etc., but can probably best be defined in terms of what it is not. It is expressly not anything that preceded it. Not Victorian, not Baroque, not able to be defined on any terms but its own. By equal measure both carefree and highly self-conscious, "modernist" jewelry could have extremes of form with zero function, or it could have extremes of function and minimal form. It can make ones head spin to try and nail down the term, which is largely the point.
Seemingly at the union of these two design worlds has emerged the jewelry of local artist Heidi Abrahamson, who conjures her wares, item by item, in a small studio within the former warehouse space in which also resides Phoenix Metro Retro, a showcase of mid-century modern furniture on Hazelwood, just west of Seventh Avenue in Phoenix.
Heidi's parents immigrated from Germany in the 1950's, looking to restart their life in the States where, out from under the cloud of Nazi defeat and ruin, all things still seemed possible. Settling in Indiana, the couple took stable jobs and started their family.
Family lore has it that that the course of their lives changed one day when Heidi's mother made an impetuous purchase. "She'd seen this interesting vase at the Salvation Army shop and just had to have it. My father thought it was really kind of silly to spend so much money on a second-hand vase, when money was so tight for us, but mom really thought the vase was special." It turns out Heidi's mother had an excellent eye. The vase was an Amphora, designed by a popular designer of the avant guard. Before long, a buyer for the vase had been found and the family had made a tidy profit.
Thus began a decades-long immersion into the world of resale which over the years would grow from a hobby to a way of life. Long before eBay made the practice all but obsolete, Heidi's family would scour estate sales, auctions and the like, for objects whose value was underestimated by sellers who didn't really know what they had. They would then bring those finds to gathering places throughout the midwest, and resell them to people who valued them more greatly. "They don't do it like that these days, but my mother used to put up curtains and really decorate the selling space at these shows we were selling at. It was really pretty cool," recalls Heidi.
Although the family was living in a large Victorian-era house in Columbus, Indiana, Heidi's parents were gung-ho for modernism. "My parents used to drive the us through town and point out all the cool buildings with modern design influences. Especially being from Germany, they'd get really excited when they'd find something like a Bauhaus influence or something," she says.
Unlike the average child, Heidi soaked it all up; both the elements of style, which were such a departure from her Victorian surroundings at home, and even the names of architects and designers her parents enthusiastically imparted to her. "We'd drive into Chicago and they'd say, 'look - there's a Frank Lloyd Wright' or 'there's a Mied van der Rohe!'"
It was in high school that Heidi became drawn to the possibilities of silver as a medium for jewelry and art. She was particularly attracted to works of such contemporary silversmiths as N.E. From, Georg Jensen, Andreas Mikkelson, Esther Lewittes, Ed Levin.
Heidi studied fine arts and interior design at Indiana University and eventually moved to Seattle, Washington, where she began a career in visual merchandising. She planned and executed in-store decorations for some of the elite retailers in the city, including I. Magnin, Burberry's and the Bon Marche'.
It was in Seattle that Heidi met and married Douglas Abrahamson, who shared her eclectic tastes. After briefly returning to Indiana, Heidi and Doug moved their young family to Phoenix in the summer of 1995.
During her time in the Valley, Heidi began to pursue outside interests, such as desert landscaping (she has a degree in it from Desert Botanical Gardens) and beaded jewelry. Following a desire to have more creative possibilities than she felt were allowed her by stringing beads, Heidi eventually re-acquainted herself with silver. Although she still describes herself as "primarily self-taught," she has taken courses in casting, smithing and stone-setting.
What "self-taught" usually means is lots of experimentation, and Heidi's body of work reflects that. While certain themes recur (the juxtaposition of circles with spheres, for example), overall there is an unbridled crossing of genres and styles.
One stylistic trait evident in many of her rings is that of semi-precious stones encased in broad bands of silver, where the sides of the band actually extend beyond the apex of the stone. Tending toward a muted color palate, many of Heidi's pieces feature stones of dull amber (such as yellow quartz) side by side with stones of complimentary red and/or blue hues.
Pearls are a favorite feature, says Heidi, because of the possibilities for quirky or ironic mountings. One pendant features a shallow dish of silver, with a pearl placed off-center inside the dish. A silver and gold ring features a perfectly flat top, upon which is mounted several pearls in tight alignment. One silver ring features a pool of dark onyx atop which a white pearl seams to float.
There is both motion and tension in Heidi's designs.
Another successful and eye-catching theme is that of large quartz crystals placed within, instead of atop, vertical straps of silver. Some of these rings must be placed on the finger of the wearer horizontally until past the wearer's knuckle.
Tall and with the fair complexion and flaxen hair characteristic of her German lineage, Heidi Abrahamson has a broad, unguarded smile, and an infectious laugh. Though clearly serious about her work and her art, she also displays a healthy sense of humor. When asked if any of her design concepts have ever proved plain unwearable, she spontaneously guffaws, "Oh GOD yes!"
To say that Heidi is still learning her craft would be accurate but misleading. Each finished piece is a cohesive work which
achieves the goals Heidi had for it; but as her technical skills grow, so too do her expectations of herself and her work.
Last September, Heidi was invited to attend the "Ormania" trade show, an annual "selling exhibition" held in Paris, France. Heidi was surprised and honored at her inclusion in the exhibition, which seeks out the best of unique jewelry making the world over. "I didn't apply or lobby for it," she explains. "It was members of a silver forum I belong to who put my name forward."
Heidi is visibly moved when she reflects on the recognition she's received from peers and others with influence in the jewelry world. Her creations have already been displayed as jewelry as well as art at venues such as the Herberger Theater, Red Door Gallery, SMoCA and the Phoenix Modern Expo '09.
Although popular among those in the know, Heidi Abrahmson is still approachable - probably even more so if you happen to catch her at Bikini Lounge, one of her and Doug's favorite hangouts. Her "brand" is also not yet so big that she wouldn't consider commission work, and has designed custom wedding bands for clients in the past.
You can visit Heidi in her studio at Phoenix Metro Retro (which she and her husband own) at 708 West Hazlewood in Phoenix. They're open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm. Her website is www.heidiabrahamson.com.
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