C. Jeré

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Sculpture by Curtis Jere, signed "C. Jeré", 1967

C. Jeré (also: Curtis Jere ) is a collective pseudonym under which Jerry Fels and Kurt Freiler designed and made wall sculptures and home accessories.

Kurt Freiler, a locksmith who immigrated to the USA from Germany , met the New York City artist Jerry Fels in California in the 1940s . First they made fashion jewelry together, which they sold with great success under the pseudonyms Renoir and Matisse . At times they employed up to 300 people for this. In 1963, the business partners, who by then were related by marriage, founded Artisan House .

With the aim of making high-quality works of art accessible to a broader public, they produced various designs in series. Fels acted as artistic director, while Freiler took over the technical direction and guided the numerous workers employed by the company. As the originator of the designs, Fels and Freiler used the pseudonym Curtis Jere or C. Jeré, which is made up of their alienated first names. Kurt Freiler was usually addressed as Curtis in the US anyway, while Jerry Fels changed his first name to the French-like Jeré or Jere. At this time, the sculptures were offered by Raymor in New York City, Gumps in San Francisco , and other upscale furnishing stores.

The sculptures can be assigned to the mid-century modern and are often composed of a large number of small-scale elements. Various metals such as steel , copper or brass are used as materials, which are often specifically patinated. Fels and Freiler sold Artisan House in 1973. Although the company has since been resold several times, it continues to produce sculptures based on designs by the two company founders, which are still marketed today under the names Curtis Jere or C. Jeré. The sculptures were used as props in film and television productions such as Mad Men , Men in Black 3 and The Dark Knight Rises .

Jerry Fels died in 2007 at the age of 90. Kurt Freiler died on July 22, 2013 at the age of 103.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Modernism magazine, Spring 2007 issue, p. 116
  2. ^ Mitchell Owens: The sculptural ornaments of C. Jeré . In: Elle decor . November 2010, p. 128.
  3. ↑ Information on Curtis Jere at Markanto.de
  4. ^ Artisan House co-founder Kurt Freiler dies . In: Home Accents Today , July 23, 2013. Retrieved August 3, 2013.