Guy Vidal (b. 1938) is a French Canadian multi-disciplinary artist & designer. His current practice is in paper however, it’s his vintage jewellery that we’ll be featuring in this week’s Designer Desire.
When we first saw his work, we thought he would hail from Scandinavia. His mid-century pieces are modernist and brutalist – created using pewter, brass and silver and gold plate – and remind us of makers such as Jacob Hull and Jorma Laine.
Vidal explains the development of his practice.
I started with printmaking (etchings and lithographs) where paper, copper and stone appealed to me as much as the finished product. I then favored metal (copper, pewter, silver and gold) with jewelry and sculpture. My research at this time was aimed at the solid construction of volume and the aesthetics of the finished product. Later, I worked with cold glass, that is to say etched with a sandblastr. Another monochrome material offering many possibilities, given its transparency. Through this crystalline material, I saw my imprint in the finished work. I was evolving, without realizing it, towards my current approach.
He was very prolific during his jewellery making career, so examples often come up for sale on both Etsy and eBay.
Additional image credits:
Live Auctioneers
