art
Top left: This unusual piece by Goodman
features fossilized ivory, metal work and
hand-stamped calligraphy.
Bottom left: Wearable bracelets are
removed to reveal an inner box, whose
secret compartment sits on a base of
unpolished, fossilized ivory pieces.
BY ESTHER ALLWEISS TSCHIRHART/PHOTOGRAPHY BY G LENN TRIEST
ncient fossilized ivory
finds new life in the
stunning door handles,
jewelry and other pieces
of art crafted by Berkley-based
Steven Goodman Designs.
To secure his supply of "one of
the most beautiful materials in the
world," Goodman contracts with
Inuit tribesmen to dig up
mastodon, wooly mammoth and
walrus tusks during the summer
thaw in the Alaskan tundra.
That's indicative of his passion
for perfection.
An award-winning jewelry maker,
who taught himself to work in met-
2 4 • JUNE 2002 • STYLE Al THE JN
als, minerals and woods, Goodman
enjoys the challenge of creating larg-
er pieces. He lets the natural mate-
rials he's gathered spark his imagina-
tion for projects. With his artist's
touch, he masterfully blends exotic
and domestic hardwoods; minerals
like turquoise, pipestone, blue azu-
rite and jet; shells like abalone and
mother of pearl; and assorted met-
als. The result is a showroom filled
with exquisite art objects, including
the intricate handles and knobs that
Goodman calls "jewelry for furni-
ture."
One set of handles, "for a spe-
cial piece of furniture," features
turquoise that's been shaped and
drilled into a stone-like weave pat-
tern. Another set has six types of
ebony in 4,000 inlaid pieces.
Recently, he began carving mezu-
zot, sometimes in turquoise, jet
and brass.
Executives will surely appreci-
ate and remember the giver of one
of Goodman's handcrafted desk
signs. Made of such woods as lace-
wood, ironwood and longleaf
Southern pine, the signs feature
metal ornamentation (sterling,
brass or bronze) at the ends — and
also in back, for the owner to
enjoy.
Goodman's address signs, with
distinctive metal accents, are a bet-
ter choice than putting "a $14 sign
on a multi-million-dollar home,"
he says. His wife, Sue Jackson,
captivated customers when she
brought a sign to Herald Wholesale
in Oak Park, seeking more num-
bers. General manager Kenneth
Cantor promptly commissioned
Goodman to make samples and
stock for the store.
Cable's HGTV (Home and
Garden Network) recently visited
the craftsman at work for a Modern
Masters program this fall.
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