{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1770633"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1770633/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NX0742/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NX0742/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2024NX0742","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NX0743","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1770633","accessionNumber":"M.26-2024","objectType":"Brooch","titles":[{"title":"'The colors of London'–'A-Z Guide'","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Marjorie Schick (1941-2017) was known for her avant-garde, sculptural jewellery which she referred to as “paintings for the body”. Schick approached jewellery from a unique angle; her execution reflected her extensive background in fine art and metalsmithing. Her career in jewellery commenced during the late 1960s, a time of profound social change. During this radical era, revolutionary spirit was in the air across Europe and America; Schick and her contemporaries began to confront traditional concepts of jewellery and the categorization of what was deemed ‘precious’. \r\n\r\nHer complex papier-mâché masterpieces, exploding with colour, energy and texture, are standalone sculptures which transform into wearable works of art on the body. Schick laboriously created her pieces by employing the skills she acquired during her training as a traditional metalsmith, seamlessly blended with additional skills such as sewing, painting, collage and model-making. Schick took the most unconventional materials and fashioned them into exceptional pieces of jewellery.\r\n\r\nThroughout various stages of her career, Schick undertook extended study programmes at the Sir John Cass School of Art in Aldgate East, London. She also spent time in the city during sabbaticals with her husband, Dr. James Schick. During a trip in 1998, she was inspired to create her ‘Colors of London’ series, where she captured the essence of the city as she experienced it through a series of six brooches, four of which are in the V&A’s collection.\r\n\r\nThe vibrantly painted ‘Tube Map’ depicts the London Underground and train network snaking over and around a white background. ‘Shopping Harrods’ has been painted with the iconic green and mustard-gold tones of the department store. The ‘A-Z Guide’, painted with the primary colours, reminds us of how we navigated the city before the popularisation of digital maps. ‘Patchy Drizzle’ embodies the familiar atmosphere of the city; it has the feeling of a grey and rainy day in London, emphasised by multiple colourful umbrellas. These robust yet lightweight brooches were created with a combination of materials such as wire mesh, wooden dowels, paper paste, steel and various layers of paint.\r\n","physicalDescription":"This papier-mâché brooch has been painted with the repeated letters A and Z. Inspired by the London A-Z atlas, the colours are blended to give an ombré effect. Vibrant turquoise gently transitions to a darker but equally vivid blue, whilst a rich sunset orange blends with deep scarlet red. The grey and pale-yellow marks, surrounded by black borders, painted within the negative spaces of the brightly coloured recurrent letters indicate London’s urban street network.\r\n\r\nThe main body of the brooch is in the form of a delicately contorted walled square with a multi-level sloping surface, balanced on a frame of wooden dowels. The reverse has received the same attention to detail as the front. It has an 8 cm steel pin attached and is signed M. Schick ’98.\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Schick, Marjorie (Prof.)","id":"A21023"},"association":{"text":"designed and made by","id":"x28674"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"wood","id":"AAT11914"},{"text":"papier-mâché","id":"AAT14245"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"steel wire","id":"x39187"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Painted papier-mâché","categories":[{"text":"Jewellery","id":"THES48930"},{"text":"Paintings","id":"THES48917"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2024NX0742","2024NX0743"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"91","id":"THES49703"},"free":"","case":"39","shelf":"C","box":"4"}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Brooch","id":"THES287566"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"United States","id":"x29333"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1998","earliest":"1998-01-01","latest":"1998-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Dr. James B.M. Schick and Robert M. Schick in memory of the artist","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"160","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"180","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"48","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"M. Schick '98","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Signature of maker and year of making are inscribed in black ink on the reverse."}],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"'The colors of London' series, 'A-Z Guide' brooch. Painted papier-mâché, wood and stainless steel, designed and made by Marjorie Schick, USA, 1998.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["M.26-2024"],"accessionNumberNum":"26","accessionNumberPrefix":"M","accessionYear":2024,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-02-17","recordCreationDate":"2024-01-11","availableToBook":false}}