Even brilliant ice offers glimpses of fire in its depths, but it takes discernment to choose a jewel in its rawest form, and the imagination and technical skill of an artist to create the right
setting. HansBrumann, founder of HEMM/HansBrumann Jeweller, is one who sees and brings out natural beauty in stone, metal and wood.
Since the Swiss native-turned-naturalized Filipino citizen came to work with Rudy Gloor of La Estrella del Norte in 1967, he's found more materials on which to vent his creativity. And since his first exhibition on cross sculptures at the Ayala Museum in 1981, he's also found more Filipino artists to collaborate with, including Impy Pilapil, Manny Baldemor, Lor Calma, and National Artist Arturo Luz. In fact, Brumann is currently working with Mr. Luz on another project, and preparing for the 2008 opening of a new gallery at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City.
But while his chosen art form is sculpture and jewelry (or miniature sculpture), Brumann also paints in watercolor; in fact, his favorite extravagance are art books. He appreciates and takes inspiration in abstract art, but his first love is the post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne, with the book Vollendet, Unvollendet from the 2001 Kunsthaus Zurich exhibit of the artist's work, as his most cherished in the collection.
What does the title of the book mean?
"Finished and Unfinished," in crude words. But there must be a nicer translation in English maybe—something which is perfect, and something that is not perfect [but] can also be. "Un" means not, "voll" means full, "endet" means ending. So "not full ending (unvollendet), full ending (vollendet), literally. German is very precise.
Why Cézanne and not another Impressionist?
He was the father of the Impressionists, breaking away at the turn of the last century. I was in school in Switzerland, 15 or 16, my favorite subject was designing, drawing, art... before all the paintings were dark or [had] blank backgrounds, they looked very crass. These people brought color in it and started to simplify. And forms of human beings or landscapes, they started to abstract. We were able to go to our museum in our capital city, we saw the real stuff, some fantastic paintings, and even the smell of the painting. It was really an experience to me. Even today, I really like to go to museums, I like to see what I can experience in different cities in the world, if I had time.
What is it about Cézanne's work that appeals to you?
He is very sure with the colors and the composition of the painting. When you start painting, you have to make a good composition... It has to have tension, otherwise it's dead… Even if it's not finished, it has a certain charm. It's not shouting at you, [like] these watercolor sketches from an early painting. I want to look at what's behind it, [at] the construction of a painting. You can learn a lot from the proportions.
Can you translate a painting into a piece of jewelry?
I have often gotten inspiration from paintings, especially abstract, where I can use a certain idea for my jewelry… You get inspired all the time by your surroundings, what you do everyday, what you read, what you look at… You can learn how to paint and how to
compose a picture by studying it.
Cézanne was part of a movement; he started the glimmerings of abstract art. Are you aiming for the same thing with your designs?
I try to get away a little bit from the thinking that a piece of jewelry has to be very expensive and using only the most expensive materials. Thousands of years ago, when people started to adorn themselves, they used twigs, or feathers, leather, simple things, just to look better. I'm very much impressed to go in that direction for an exhibition; my idea is also to invite other artists.
Ultimately the purpose of art is?
To please.
Is that why you're in the jewelry business?
Yes.
Is it also a medium for the artist, for his emotions, philosophy?
Could be… Even if the painting might be ugly, but there is a strong message there. [But] I still go to the old school. Unlike today, you have these installations, and I have to wonder, what does he mean by that? I don't understand. Some of them are very original, very colorful, even nice to look at—but who will buy that? You should be able to transport it, to bring it home.
What do you think was Cézanne's message?
You can see the aesthetic part of all his work, the good combination of colors and the good layout of proportion, the composition. This is, I think, the message which he would give a young person who would like to follow… [Earlier] artists did it more precisely than the Impressionists, because it's almost like mathematics when they compose their paintings… this was actually a relief from all this stiffness. For the artist, I think it's more enjoyable like this than what they did before. Before, there was also a lot of commissioned work; this one was not commissioned work. It comes from your guts, not from the brains. I prefer that.
Originally published in 2007 in BusinessWorld High Life. Photo of Vollendet, Unvollendet from Biblio.