“Segment Jewelry Box on Pedestal,” 2017

James Bearden (b. 1964)
“Segment Jewelry Box on Pedestal”
American, 2017

Patinated steel with 24-karat gold leaf and fused bronze, copper, and glass enamel. Executed in Bearden’s distinctive sculptural vocabulary, the present work combines heavily textured industrial surfaces with passages of color and metallic contrast. The compartmentalized top, animated by radiating and cellular forms, recalls both architectural fragments and organic structures.

Known for his highly tactile metalwork and process-driven approach, Bearden creates compositions that blur the line between sculpture, design, and functional object. Layered patination and fused materials produce surfaces of considerable depth and variation. The elevated pedestal form reinforces the sculptural character of the work while maintaining the intimate scale associated with personal objects and boxes.

Bio:
James Bearden (American, b. 1964) is an abstract sculptor whose work explores the intersection of sculpture, architecture, and functional design. Working primarily in metal, Bearden has produced a number of ongoing series, including Cathedral, Assemblage, Voids, and Lunar Blooms. His work is held in corporate, municipal, and prominent private collections.

PROVENANCE
Acquired from the artist.

REFERENCE
¹ Exhibited: New York Design Center, The Gallery at 200 Lex, James Anthony Bearden: Technical and Aesthetic Revelations, January 10–February 25, 2020.

LITERATURE
² See also: L. Weinberg, “Bold and Beautiful: Brutalism Is Making a Star of James Bearden,” Interior Design, January 2017.
³ See also: T. McKeough, “Experience James Bearden’s Primal Metalwork,” 1stDibs Introspective, February 6, 2017.
⁴ See also: V. L. Ingham, “The Brutal World of James Bearden,” dsm magazine, May–June 2017.