Modernist jeweler Art Smith’s wearable art on display at High Museum

In another life, Arthur “Art” Smith might have been an architect. But as a college student at Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, it quickly became clear that career wasn’t an option. Math, it turned out, was not his strong suit. Instead, Smith majored in sculpture, training that would greatly influence and inspire his work as one of the leading modernist jewelers of the mid-20th century.

In a new exhibition, the High Museum of Art presents 20 pieces of jewelry representing Smith’s work from the late 1940s through the 1970s. “From the Village to Vogue: The Modernist Jewelry of Art Smith” was organized by the Brooklyn Museum and also features archival materials from Smith’s estate such as sketches, unfinished work and shop tools. It opens June 21 and is on display through Sept. 13.

Smith’s bold designs are ornamental, but also reflect his deep understanding of architecture, sculpture and movement of the body. “I was surprised with some of the pieces,” said curator Sarah Schleuning. “The way they are worn is different than when they are static and photographed. That is when you see the influence of (Alexander) Calder.”

One example is the “Metallic Boa,” a spiky curve of a necklace that appears upright like a question mark in photographs but wraps gracefully across the bust when hung around the neck. Schleuning and staff opted to display the creation on a mannequin so that viewers can see how in tune Smith was with the human body as an element of his designs. “They aren’t these generic necklaces with a clasp,” Schleuning said. “Some of them hang off the body in such atypical ways.”

Part of this can be attributed to the commissions Smith received from avant-garde black dance companies at the height of his career. The experience gave him the chance to design large theatrical pieces that were suited to movement.

From cuffs that extend over the lower arm in overlapping layers, to the “Undulation Ring,” which features three semiprecious stones that stretch across three fingers, Smith displays his knowledge of structure and his willingness to push the limits in creating wearable art.

“Architecture is about the body but at a grander scale. You can see where that interest continues, but it is at a scale that is more intimate and probably allowed him greater creative freedom,” Schleuning said.

Smith’s career as a jeweler began several years after graduation from Cooper Union. He had taken night courses in jewelry design at New York University and began assisting a fellow jewelry designer in her Greenwich Village shop. In 1947, he struck out on his own, and within a decade his career flourished.

His work was featured in magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar, and he received prestigious commissions, but he was careful to make sure his designs were accessible to everyone. Smith typically used less expensive materials for his creations. “He would make these pieces in copper, brass, silver or gold. If you were high society, you would have the gold or silver version,” said Schleuning.

Smith, a supporter of black and gay civil rights and a lover of jazz music, closed his shop in 1979. He died in 1982. And while he is well known within the subfield of modernist jewelry, he is less recognized in the broader industry.

“I think he deserves more recognition than he has had,” Schleuning said. “(The exhibition) really showcases a designer whose ideas we are interested in — transforming the idea of wearability and accessibility of design into the arts form.”