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The particulars of my training (two years of furniture design, and five days in jewellery making) defined the way I initially approached jewellery: I concerned myself primarily with notions of function and context of use, and usually worked towards self-appointed briefs, whilst one step removed from actual manufacture. Even though I am gradually taking over the manufacture of my work, I believe it continues to offer a design-led alternative to our craft-based profession: as an extended family of individual objects that hope to tackle specific aspects of body adornment - with little concern for overall stylistic or technical homogeneity.
The laws of gravity, or possibly the cyclical nature of one's interests, are steering me back towards desktop adventures, including, but not limited to, curatorial, associative and writing endeavours. |
Public collections:
2006 Purchase by the Fonds Permanent du Bijoux Contemporain, Cagnes-sur-Mer
2007 Purchase by the Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, Paris
2010 Stedelijk Museum ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Holland
2011 cneai, Chatoux
2012 Purchase by the Robertson library, Dunedin, NZ
Exhibitions:
In the last ten years, Benjamin has exhibited - more often than not in extremely good company, but sometimes also on his own - in the following cities: Erfurt, London (Collect at Saatchi gallery, Design Museum), Cagnes-sur-Mer, Kracow, Wroclaw, Barcelona, San Francisco, Münich, Birmingham, Lódz, Limoges, Gardone Riviera, Saint-Etienne, Udine (Palazzo Giacomelli), Paris (Musée de la Chasse, Musée Galliera), Manchester (Manchester Gallery of Art), Padova, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Villejuif, Cheongju, Utrecht, Sopot, Mexico City, Edinburg, Tokyo, Luxembourg, New York, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Beijing, Zürich, Milan, Seattle, Berlin, Melbourne (National Gallery), Lenox, Milan, Tallin and Arnhem
Publications:
2009 page 4, a selection of 1 piece - self published (January) | page 5, a selection of 1 piece - self published (March) | page 5, a selection of six pieces - self published (december)
2008 page 1, a selection of 1 piece - self published (January) | page 2, a selection of 12 piece - self published (February) | page 3, a selection of 1 piece - self published (March)
2007 in "500 wedding rings", ed. by Marthe Le Van, Lark books
2003 volume 11, a selection of 13 pieces - self published
2001 volume 9, a selection of 14 pieces - self published
1999 volume 8, a selection of 13 pieces - self published
1998 volume 7, a selection of 15 pieces - self published
articles:
"On defining contemporary jewelry", op-ed for Metalsmith, Fall 2006 issue
"Repeat after me", op-ed for Metalsmith, summer 2008 issue
"Plan B", a Klimt02 blog, summer 2009
"If I am fast, will you still love me", in ThinkTank, edition 06, 2009
"What does it mean to us?", in Grey Area seminar publication, Mexico, 2010
"CCTV", a Klimt02 blog, spring 2010
"now and never: the currency of contemporary jewellery", in ThinkTank, edition 07, 2010
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Senza Confini
Udine: 2008
This catalogue reflects the nature of the project ‘Senza Confini’ - a private initiative by two makers (Zanini and Sicuro) inviting another five to exhibit together, unconstrained by either the visual identity of the host (in this case, the Museo Etnografico of Udine) or of the organizers. We all felt it would be a nice change to come up with a format reflecting the theme of the exhibition, and thankfully, the group was small enough to discuss. (...)
Techincal data: 22 pages; 9 x 12,5 cm; coloured stamps; italian text
Price from: 10 €
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io ce l'ho d'oro (Yeah...but mine's gold)
Benjamin Lignel
Paris: 2008
“Io ce l'ho d'oro” is an experiment on the ambivalent use of accessories to either mock, or ape, the demeanour of our betters. For maximum effect, the pigeon should be placed in a public arena, and flaunt its golden 'thang' to a large audience of its feathered kin.
Techincal data: Offset lithograph on paper (double sided), 99 x 23.5 cm unfolded, 16.5 x 23.5 folded
Price from: 6 €
Order book (Benjamin Lignel)
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Thinking of you (Portraits)
Benjamin Lignel
Paris: 2008
“Thinking of you (portraits)” is a series of brooches that reproduces the ear of the user, or that of the user’s partner / friend/child etc.: each brooch is designed to order, and strives to render, much as a portrait painting would, the specific features of the sitter’s ear. It finds its inspiration in the Victorian hairwork popular towards the end of the 19th century.
This poster was published on the occasion of the schmuckszene 2008 exhibition (Munich).
Techincal data: Offset lithograph on paper (double sided), 99 x 54 cm unfolded, 16.5 x 27 folded
Price from: 9 €
Order book (Benjamin Lignel)
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Also known as jewellery
Benjamin Lignel
Paimpont: 2009
(...) Contemporary jewellery, in France and abroad, is undergoing a spectacular evolution: in recent years, it has both staked out new territories of experimentation, and claimed a pivotal position between art, design and traditional craft. (...)
Techincal data: 17 folded posters inside a soft cover, bound with a black rubber band, 68 pages, 16.5 x 24 cm, approximately 90 colour illustrations
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la disparition, with Enrico Bartolucci
Benjamin Lignel
Paris: 2010
A flip-book produced to show one of the series of work as an animation, a book that won't necessarily help visitors get over their frustration with this seemingly pointless project: it, too, will gradually loose its pages as time goes by.
Techincal data: 24.5 x 17 cm, offset printed on Munken arctic white 15, 250 gm
Price from: 14 €
Order book (Benjamin Lignel)
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Benjamin Lignel, 1972, born in Neuilly s/Seine. He studied Art History at New York University & Furniture Design at the Royal College of Art, London, and now lives & works in Paris. He has work in the following public collections: Fonds Permanent du Bijoux Contemporain, Cagnes-sur-Mer | Fonds National d’Art Contemporain, Paris | Stedelijk Museum ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Holland | cneai, Chatoux | Robertson library, Dunedin, NZ
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