Though the name Curtis Jeré is familiar to many as the maker of ebullient and eccentric modern design from the 1960s and ‘70s, relatively few are aware that it is a pseudonym for the design team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels. Together, the two created some of the most striking and vivid furnishings and decorative objects of their era, from sculptures and dynamically framed mirrors, to lighting and wall decorations.
New Yorkers Freiler and Fels had collaborated for two decades on small jewelry lines before launching a design company called Artisan House in 1964. They combined variants of their names to create an artful persona — sometimes shortened to C. Jeré; the "surname" is pronounced with a rising inflection: jhayr-EH — that stood behind large-scale decorative metalwork, marked by semi-abstract petal forms with burnt and brazed edges. Fels served as head of design, and Freiler, known for his keen handiwork, was the production chief. The pair’s eclectic metalwork has captivated decorative art collectors and interior designers ever since.
The work of Curtis Jeré displays a sense of playfulness and curiosity, while drawing on inspirations and themes that include flowers, discs, geometric forms and animal figures. Freiler and Fels had a masterful ability to work with different materials, such as patinated brass and brilliant chrome.
The price of a Curtis Jeré mirror, lamp, wall-mounted sculpture or tabletop sculpture can range from $400 to $12,000, depending on the size, the rarity of the piece, the intricacy of the metalwork and the materials used in its construction. Other factors like condition can affect the perceived value and, thus, the cost of works by Curtis Jeré.
As you will see on 1stDibs, the imaginative powers of the designers of Curtis Jeré pieces were boundless, and their creations will add a dash of verve in any room.
Wall Sculpture by Richard Filipowski
By Richard Filipowski
Located in Chicago, IL
Richard E. Filipowski, graduate of the Chicago Institute of Design, hand-sculpted Marquette. Stylized branch composition out of delicate components...
Brass, Copper
Ron Fritts Wall Sculpture
By Ron Fritts
Located in Chicago, IL
Ron Fritts (20th century) is a contemporary American artist, fashion designer, painter, and educator. Fritts studied Fine Art at the Carnegie Institute, theatre arts at Columbia, pai...
Foil
Tony Rosenthal "CATS EYES 1" Wall Sculpture.
By Tony Rosenthal
Located in Chicago, IL
Tony Rosenthal "CATS EYES I" variation Wall Sculpture Painted wood assemblage with white, yellow and black elements fastened with screws, unsigned, circa 2006. From The Estate Collec...
Wood
Mario Dal Fabbro Sculpture
By Mario Dal Fabbro
Located in Chicago, IL
Mario Dal Fabbro - No. 20 Signed Mario Dal Fabbro Multi-disciplinary artist Mario Dal Fabbro was born in Cappella Maggiore, Italy in 1913. He trained in his family's furniture design shop prior to attending both the R. Superior Institute for Decorative and Industrial Arts in Venice as well as Magistero Artistico, graduating with high honors in 1937. From the years of 1938-1948 Dal Fabbro immersed himself in furniture design and academia. Primarily, he designed furniture for both design houses and private clients. Del Fabbro participated in the Triennale de Milano competition in both 1939 and 1947 and won the Ganzatti Contest for 'Standardization of Furniture". During this period he also contributed to the Italian design publications Domus and Stile and the French magazine L'Architecture D'Aujourd'hui. In 1948 Mario Dal Fabbro immigrated to America and began designing furniture for mass production, working for J.G. Furniture in New York and Quakertown, PA. During his years steady employ, he published Modern Furniture: Its Design And Construction in 1949 and contributed regularly to The New York Times and House and Garden. His subsequent publications spanned a little over the decade and included How to Build Modern Furniture (1951), How to Make Built-In Furniture (1955), and How to Make Children's Furniture and Play Equipment...
Wood
Florence Resnikoff Wall Sculpture
By Florence Resnikoff
Located in Chicago, IL
Florence Resnikoff Wall Sculpture Painted Canvass stretched over wire frame. Signed on backside Florence Resnikoff '68 Resnikoff's work can be found in the permanent collections of t...
Wire
Florence Resnikoff Wall Sculpture
By Florence Resnikoff
Located in Chicago, IL
Florence Resnikoff Wall Sculpture, Painted Canvass stretched over wire frame. Signed on backside Resnikoff Resnikoff's work can be found in the permanent collections of the City and ...
Metal
Curtis Jere' Raindrop Wall Sculpture
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Curtis Jere' large Tear-Drop Wall Sculpture. Great size, measuring about 62" across. Overall in very nice shape! Absolute show stopper in any space! One of his most iconic designs!
Metal
Wonderful Pair of Brass Curtis Jere Raindrops Wall Sculpture Mid-Century Modern
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Pemberton, NJ
Wonderful pair of Curtis jere brass raindrops sculptures. This pair has nice early signatures "C. Jere 71" and have always been a pair-we purchased from the original owner. The la...
Brass, Steel
Early Curtis Jere Chrome Raindrops Wall Sculpture circa 1970’s
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Ann Arbor, MI
Curtis Jere Early Chrome Raindrops Sculpture Signed by the Artist circa 1970’s. This sculpture has beautiful patina and vibrant color and can can hang both vertically or horizontally...
Cut Steel
Californian Modernist "Raindrop" Chrome Sculpture by Curtis Jere
By Curtis Jeré, Artisan House
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Materials: Polished & Burnished Chrome Metal Disks This Californian Modernist “Raindrop” chrome sculpture by Curtis Jere is a striking example of mid-century American studio art...
Metal, Chrome
Mid-century Gabbrielli Signed Brutalist Wall Sculpture - 65"w x 36"h
By Curtis Jeré, Silas Seandel
Located in Chicago, IL
Impressive wall sculpture by Gabrielli, a Canadian metal sculptor in the style of Silas Seandel and Curtis Jere’. 3”x 3” (approximately) metal squares braised onto iron stems. Multi ...
Brass, Copper, Wrought Iron
American Vintage Metal Wall Mirror Sculpture Raindrops by Curtis Jere ca' 1970
By Curtis Jeré
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A silver-chrome, vintage Mid-Century Modern American wall mirror, composed of polished circular metal discs and spheres. Designed by Curtis Jere, ca' 1970, United States. A mirror o...
Steel
