Glauco Cambi

Goldsmith

©Glauco Cambi

The tireless search for novelty

Glauco is a skilled master goldsmith
He is mostly inspired by great sculpture
His unique style is deeply evocative

From his atelier in the heart of Rome, Glauco Cambi continues to research the possibilities of goldsmithing, a journey he embarked on in the early 1990s after his artistic and professional training. A tireless experimenter, Glauco has reappropriated some of the most refined techniques of antiquity, such as niello, lost wax casting, the cuttlefish bone technique, and others. He combines these with innovation in processes and in the choice of materials, themes, combinations. So results the uniqueness of a style that is developed always in a series, such as Magnetica, Knots, Movements, Flow, Stonetale. Glauco is above all inspired by the great history of art, from the Roman Baroque to 20th century sculpture. In making these evocative jewels, Glauco focuses on the sculptural expressiveness of shapes, surfaces treatments and chromatic balances.

Interview

©Glauco Cambi

©Glauco Cambi

In your work, are ancient and modern styles in dialogue?: Yes, I rework ancient techniques in a contemporary key: it is a hybrid approach. In my attempts to make series of works (for example the Knots) my way of working is clearly visible. I am very attracted by surface treatments, the 'skin' of objects, patinas and chromatic research.
Where do you find inspiration?: I am interested in organic forms but not necessarily ones found in nature. I am rather inspired by the history of art, by sculpture – Calder, Umberto Mastroianni, Arnaldo Pomodoro, Burri, Medardo Rosso, Colla – and by painting such as Bacon, the Expressionists. I like things that reappear in an unpredictable way over the years.
What interests you in a jewel?: The expressive aspect is fundamental in what I do. I am interested in the tactile as well as the visual aspect. For me the jewel as a status symbol is boring. I work on balance and imbalance, not on a decorative outcome.
What is a distinctive trait of your creations?: It is our uniqueness as craftsmen that is the most precious. I carry out a particular research on stones with a story, telling complex truths. Dendritic quartz have whole worlds inside them, for example. Difficult to find, there are an infinite variety of them, each one with different characteristics.

Glauco Cambi is a master artisan: he began his career in 1990 and he started teaching in 1994