Nov 25 2009
Museum of Arts and Design-An indulgence in rare trinkets
Madeline Albright’s “jewelry” exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design is a showy way of flashing off our invaluable trinkets to the world. Her exhibit, entitled “Read My Pins”, is unique in that each of these “trinkets” (so to speak) have a story to convey to each of us. How we interpret these stories is based on our own intuition. Ms. Albright, a former Secretary of State, liked to wear jewelry during her span in office. There are more than 200 pins, many of which she wore to communicate a message or a mood during her diplomatic tenure. The exhibition examines the collection for its historic significance as well as the expressive power of jewelry and its ability to communicate through a style and language of its own. In a sense, these pieces of jewelry are also, pieces of one’s history and they’ve experienced a lot of exposure to the world just as how Ms. Albright had to travel to various nations for her position. A lot of these trinkets are crafted simply, yet they convey a powerful message. For example, the Cecile et Jeanne Peace Dove represents her diplomatic efforts to promote peace around the world. The dove, which symbolizes peace, is a perfect example for that purpose and thus, it leaves both Ms. Albright and the audience a moment to reflect on these conventions.
I love it when artists tell stories through seemingly small, insignificant materials. It is great that they leave the openess for us to interpret what they are trying to convey, rather than telling us themselves. One little piece of jewelry can mean something for one person, and something completely different for another. The fact of the matter is, it is nice to be able to formulate your own opinion. It is a challenge that takes away the robotic manner of looking at paintings or pieces of art.