Liv Blavarp, North necklace, 2010, horse cherry, maple, reindeer horn, showing at the Charon Kransen Gallery, SOFA West

Should you find yourself in Santa Fe, New Mexico, during the next four days we suggest you make a visit to SOFA West and check out the high-end craft and contemporary jewelry on display from 8-11 July 2010. If the only sofa you have ever heard of is a kind of couch, let AJF be your guide to one of the major institutions of the American craft scene. According to the SOFA website:

The Sculpture Objects & Functional Art (SOFA) expositions in Chicago, New York, and Santa Fe, NM, are premier gallery- presented art fairs like Art Basel and TEFAF Maastricht. SOFA is produced by The Art Fair Company of Chicago IL. Critically acclaimed and continuously running since 1994, what distinguishes SOFA from other top art events is its focus on 3-dimensional artworks that cross the boundaries of fine art, decorative art and design. SOFA is noted for its exceptional presentation, with an elite selection of international dealers presenting for sale one-of-a-kind masterworks in handsome, custom-designed gallery exhibits.

SOFA Chicago has been running annually since 1994, and was joined by SOFA New York in 1998. SOFA West: Santa Fe is the new kid on the block, now in its second year. (You can find out more about SOFA by clicking here.)

Contemporary jewelry lovers attending the fair should look out for ‘My hands are my favorite tools: conversations with four jewelers – Robin Waynee, Kenneth Johnson, Pat Pruitt and Cody Sanderson’, taking place on Friday 9 July 2010. The organizers are branding this event as ‘A panel discussion on Southwest jewelry today featuring four artists whose work is contemporary and individualistic, but at the same time a continuum of the art inspired by the vast cultural and natural landscapes of the American Southwest.’

Mirjan Hiller, Uthemas brooch, 2010, powder coated stainless steel, showing at the Charon Kransen Gallery, SOFA West.

We asked AJF gallery member Charon Kransen if he could tell us a little bit about why he attends SOFA West, and what he was intending to show this time around. Here’s what he told us:

Last year was the first time we participated in SOFA West in Santa Fe. I have been coming frequently to Santa Fe since the mid-1980s when one of my best friends (with whom I studied in Pforzheim in the 1970s) moved there. I know the place rather well. It has changed a lot since that time. The area is heavily invested in the South Western ‘look’. You see that both in the houses, the interiors, and in what people wear: long skirts, boots, and lots of turquoise jewelry. Very ethnic. I feel the area has lots of potential to grow. Last year my feeling was that many people admired the work but were hesitant to buy, simply because they did not really have any reference points. I could see them think, ‘Contemporary non-American jewelry? European aesthetic? Well maybe interesting but is that jewelry?’ As with so many other things, it all needs exposure and education.

Dongchun Lee, Brooch, 2010, latex, painted iron, showing at the Charon Kransen Gallery, SOFA West.

I am bringing a wide variety of work exactly for that purpose: Marjorie Schick, large wooden/paper mache necklaces; Liv Blavarp, large wooden necklaces, Mirjam Hiller, stainless steel/powder coated brooches. Also work by Julie Blyfield, Catherine Truman, Simon Cottrell, Dongchun Lee, Lucy Sarneel, Stefano Marchetti, Barbara Paganin, Annamaria Zanella, Anthony Roussel, Daniel Dicaprio, Efharis Alepedis, Michael Becker, Ike Juenger, Peter Frank, Reiko Ishiyama, Jasmin Winter, Andrea Janosik, just to mention a few. I do not want to play into what people might generally expect . . . I just want to show a wide variety with lots of non-precious materials, strange looking and feeling designs next to some of the more accessible work like Ulla + Martin Kaufmann, all in gold, beautifully made and conceived.

Annika Pettersson, Ring, 2010, wood, nails, showing at the Charon Kransen Gallery, SOFA West.

I will also show some of the Hiroshi Suzuki vessels as well as David Huycke and Marion Hosking’s vessels. It is important to show people that jewelers can make other things than just jewelry. I show the work of very renowned artists as well as young artists, some of which have only recently graduated. These artists need a platform to show their work as well. Some of the jewelers I represent are past winners of the Emerging Artist Award offered by AJF, including Sharon Massey, Masumi Kataoka, Yeonmi Kang, Natalya Pinchuk.

I am still debating what color I should paint my booth. It always has a color. I hate white walls. I am leaning towards teal.

AJF will be publishing a review of SOFA West: Santa Fe on our website in the next month, so if you want to know more (including the color of the Charon Kransen booth), keep watching this space.