John Kirslis
Born
in 1954 to an artist mother and scientist father. John S. Kirslis
has long sought to blend art and science in creating jewelry that
is innovative, fun and beautiful. He is acutely aware that many of
the stones and beads that were made decades ago will never be made
again and wishes to utilize them to make truly unusual creations.
His extensive training in fine jewelry making techniques and design
allows him to upgrade costume jewelry to an art form.
EDUCATION: John started
making jewelry at age of thirteen. He then studied art and jewelry
design at Georgia State University (Atlanta) under Richmond Mafong
for one year before moving n to the University of Tennessee At Knoxville,
where he took courses in copper enameling and jewelry in addition
to pursuing a pre-med degree. Leaving pre-med, John moved on to the
University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he studied jewelry and art
under Eleanor Moty and Fred Fenster, graduating with a Bachelor of
Science Degree in Fine Arts in 1974. John has also taken non-degree
courses in jewelry technique at the New School for Social Research.
The Parsons School of Design and the Fashion Institute of Technology
in New York City. John’s teaching experience includes workshops
at Peters Valley Crafts Village near Layton, New Jersey and the Long
Island Crafts Guild as well as private students.
College,
John worked with Kenneth Jay Lane in New York City for several years
as assistant designer. He then worked as a designer and model maker
for Lelaune Manufacturing Company for two years. John then spent months
studying in art, jewelry and architecture in Paris, returning to New
York and working for as Bernard as a designer and model maker in metals.
In
1988, John moved to the country and was appointed Associate Jeweler
at Peters Valley Craft Village where he developed his own wholesale
product line. He later moved to an isolated cottage in the Pocono
Mountains of Pennsylvania where he had his present business until
1999. Late in that year, he moved to his present home. John has been
producing insect pins almost exclusively for the last 7 years with
the exception of his line of small pewter figures, which explore human
musculature and dynamic poses and his latest creations, “Face
Pins”
John
Kirslis ha been represented in such store such as: Henri Bendel, Bonwit
Teller, the Limited, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Macy’s,
plus the gift shops at the Dallas Museum of Art, North Carolina Museum,
and many more. His work has been featured in a number of national
publications including vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Savvy and the
Horchow Collection. He is also a painter, sculptor, and fine draftsman
and has been selling fine art as well as jewelry for years. His insect
line was designed as a result of his interest in the combination of
abstract parts to create a recognizable object.
