Margaret De Patta

United States, 1903–1964

BiographyDe Patta began her jewelry career in the 1930s, when contemporary jewelry design did not exist. From 1940-41, De Patta studied at the School of Design in Chicago with Maholy-Nagy's experimental Bauhaus methods, becoming intrigued with concepts of transparency and movement in space. In San Francisco in the 1940s, she began working with lapidary Francis Sperisen to create metal works with gemstones cut in innovative ways that she called "opticuts." When observed by a spectator, the stone creates a "see through" effect that distorts and gives the illusion of movement to the chased decorated surface behind the gemstone. The movements of both the wearer and the spectator of the jewelry create a dynamic effect because of these reflections and distortions.
Education: 1921-1923, San Diego Academy of Fine Arts; 1923-1925, California School of Fine Arts; 1926-1929, Arts Students League, New York; 1940-1941, School of Design, Chicago