C. Jere' Wall Art, Elm Forest, Signed
Signed Mid-century metal wall art, "Elm Forest", designed by C. Jere', offered by Snowdrift Antiques.
Curtis Jere’ is a compound pen name or nom de plume of artists and brothers-in-law Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels. This artistic pair used enamel, brass, copper and steel to create decorative metal sculptures of various types. Their collaboration began in 1963, fueled by their shared interest of “creating gallery quality art for the masses”. Typically, their pieces bear the signature “C. Jere' ".
Fels served as head of design while Freiler, known for his agile metalwork, was the production chief. Together, they created some of the most striking and vivid furnishings and decorative objects of their era, from sculptures and dynamically framed mirrors, to lighting and various eclectic metal creations. Today, their pieces are highly sought after by midcentury art collectors and aficionados. Writer Mitchell Owens wrote a two page article on the history of C. Jere for the November 2010 issue of Elle Decor. In it he remarks that "Today those pieces are attracting the admiration of leading dealers in vintage chic".
In order to manufacture their creations they founded the company Artisan House to also function as a worldwide distributor. Artisan House was sold in 1972. Jerry Fels passed away in 2007 at the age of 90. In 2013 Curt Freiler passed away at the age of 103.
This piece is classic Jere’ in its design and style. It is called “Elm Forest”. This light and airy piece is made of brass and copper and is signed “© C. Jere’ 1973 ”. See image 5.
It measures 57 inches wide x 34 inches maximum height I have seen a couple of these and this one has more depth than usual. The work stands out 4-5 inches from the wall. There are hooks on back for easy hanging. The entire piece separates for easier carrying and shipping.
This piece is in excellent vintage condition. I find no missing leaves or broken branches. There may be repair one branch. See image 6. It is easy to see this piece is handmade metal art.
This is classically mid-century décor by one of the 70s most sought after artist teams.
This piece can be seen and purchased at ...The Antique Exchange
1500 South Broadway
Denver, CO
Questions about or to purchase, contact me at... snowdriftantiques@gmail.com
Local delivery and local pick up are available in Denver, CO
