Ron Ho And Ramona Solberg: Jewelry As Art And Adornment

------------------ JEWELRY ART REVIEW ------------------

"Two Friends: Ron Ho, Ramona Solberg," Facere Jewelry Art, through Wednesday . City Centre, 1420 Fifth Ave. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m (624-6768).

Craft artists in the Pacific Northwest are an abundance of riches. New works by veteran metalsmiths Ron Ho and Ramona Solberg demonstrate how jewelry can become an art form without sacrificing its power to adorn and ornament our bodies and our lives. Both artists have had distinguished - if low-profile - careers as teachers. Now, in retirement, they seem to be hitting their stride. They're making more work and reminding us that Pacific Northwest jewelry art is known throughout the nation for its affinity for historic ethnic jewelry.

Of the two, Ron Ho is the more subdued (but equally powerful) artisan. His necklaces relate to Chinese religious and cultural traditions but have a humor that is unmistakably American. "Wedding Tea" uses his hallmark Chinese temple chair shape, flattened out, with two engraved silver geese next to copper tea cups, symbols of the Cantonese bridal toast. "Temple Complex," "Jade Gate" and "The Immortals" use Chinese architectural imagery to convey a sense of entry and expectation.

Ho, like Solberg, frequently incorporates items from his travels, making the necklace a composite of memories and personal events. Originally from Hawaii, Ho only recently visited China, but the trip's impact was great.

Solberg is more eclectic, pluralistic and international. Professor emeritus of art at the University of Washington, she has traveled the world, bringing back trinkets and stones from the bazaars of Asia and elsewhere. Solberg's influence on American jewelers has been considerable. She pioneered found-object jewelry, played down technique, emphasized design over construction. This exhibition is a rare treat from a woman who has never been prolific.

You can take a trip around the world with a Solberg necklace. "Baltic" combines exquisite antique Russian amber with hand-cast bronze discs in a majestic chain. "Domingo" uses Caribbean amber among silver discs that each have inset bronze dots. The sense is ornate, with a whiff of ancient Spanish colonial splendor. "Viking Dream," the third amber piece, is chunkier and reminds us that Solberg spent a crucial student year studying in Norway. She never forgot the look of Viking one-piece torque necklaces.

Solberg's necklaces take us places we have never been. Far more than ethnic copies, all her souvenirs are transformed into objects of memory with indeterminate locales. The simple domino can become a rhythmic pattern of dots; the same for a pair of dice. The mother-of-pearl inlay on a violin bow makes up the center of "Bow Regard."

Known for her unusual clasps, Solberg does not disappoint. On the side and front and (rarely) the back, she uses springs, snaps and clasplike metal pieces to engineer the wearing of each. These may seem small advances or innovations, but looked at closely in the context of American jewelry - a growing art movement - Solberg's master status is ensured.

Tired of glass? Look into Northwest jewelry art. Like Ho and Solberg, many of the artists are nationally known, their work is reasonably priced for unique objects, and recognition of their collective achievements in American craft is sure to come.

"Two Friends" is an excellent introduction to two friends who have become two masters. But don't delay: This show is on view only through Wednesday, and as of last Friday all but six of the necklaces had been sold.