A Resonant Silence: The Unfinished Work of Olaf Skoogfors--His art was at a turning point when he was struck by sudden death

摘要

OLAF SKOOGFORS WAS a jeweler and metalsmith, professor in and chairman of the Crafts Department at Philadelphia College of Art, founding member of the Society of North American Goldsmiths, husband, father, and friend. Skoogfors's life and creativity was cut short at the age of 45 by a burst aneurysm on December 20, 1975. His death was a devastating blow to the craft community of Philadelphia and those in the field nationally and internationally. They mourned not only the loss of his talent but him personally. They all knew what his absence would mean for the field, that the loss of his artistic voice would be an indelible silence. Thirty-four years have passed since Skoogfors's death. We can now assess why he was important; what made him significant in his lifetime; and what his contribution was to the field of metalwork. Had he lived longer, we would be able to answer these questions more completely. A study of the artist's work and personal papers have taken the research to unexpected places; perhaps most importantly, it reveals that he had just reached a defining moment in his career when he died so suddenly in 1975. Skoogfors had by then earned the respect of his peers, was sought by curators, clients, and galleries, and had built a notable reputation as a skilled craftsman and professor of metals. But the direction of Skoogfors's jewelry was evolving and maturing. We will never know what was to come from Skoogfors's hand, but by examining significant moments in his earlier work, the jewelry that he made in the last seven months of his life, and drawings that hint toward future work, we can examine the culmination of a dramatic shift in his oeuvre.