Author: Louise Matthews
Can a piece of jewelry also be a sculpture? Can artwork be wearable? These were among the questions that the work of Pittsburgh artist Aaronel deRoy Gruber (1918-2011) prompted when I looked through her work and stumbled upon a small selection of her plastic necklaces and belt buckles that looked like mini versions of her more famous sculptures. From there, I got my idea to propose a project looking into the concept of “wearable art,” and how these pieces came to be.
This summer, I was lucky enough to pursue this subject as one of the inaugural Tomayko Summer Fellowship recipients. I have taken full advantage of the opportunity by engaging with local archives and galleries while learning to make the most of online databases. With the guidance of Alex Taylor, I visited the Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation in Lawrenceville and met with its director, Brittany Reilly. During my visit, I saw all the jewelry and belt buckles in person and discussed their place in Aaronel’s career. I learned that the jewelry was sold under the brand name “Geometrics,” I even got to see some of the brand’s stationery. After this, I knew I had a jumping-off point for my inquiries.
I requested a visit to the Detre Library & Archives at the Heinz History Center and got my hands on as much material on Geometrics as I could find. I sorted through letters, photographs, invoices, and newspaper clippings that mentioned the brand. It was my first time using archives for research, and I had a seamless experience with the help of the team at Heinz.
With the information from the Aaronel deRoy Gruber Foundation and Heinz, I was able to piece together a timeline of the brand's history. Aaronel is best known as a sculptor, and many Pittsburghers would recognize her work Steelcityscape, located in Mellon Park. However, her endeavors as a jewelry entrepreneur seem to have taken up much of her creative energy in the 1970s. In 1971, promotions for her necklaces started appearing in publications such as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Philadelphia’s Sunday Bulletin. Advertisements consistently described Geometrics as upscale, elevated, and for the “modern woman,” aligning with Aaronel’s artistic identity.
Aaronel’s large-scale works are mesmerizing, and push the boundaries of its material, in this case, Plexiglas. Plexiglas sculptures such as “Whirling Dervish” and “Maxi Cycloplexis” were created by heating and vacuuming plastic sheets to Aaronel’s specifications. Pendants and belt buckles were crafted using the same handmade technique on a much smaller scale. Plastic might give the impression that the pieces are mass-produced, but the Geometrics line is just the opposite. It combines the technology of her sculptures with a clear knowledge of current fashion trends.
Aaronel’s fashion background from her time at Carnegie Tech and working at Kaufmann’s no doubt influenced her ability to pull from the trend cycles to create contemporary jewelry. The jewelry pieces are packed with vibrant colors that layer in a way that makes each square appear almost glowing, and their larger size encourages it to be styled as a statement piece.
Invoices from the Detre Archives and newspapers show Geometrics being sold in the luxurious Vendome department at Kauffman’s in Pittsburgh, as well as Horne’s department store. Outside of Pittsburgh, she sent inventory to small boutiques in Philadelphia and New York City, such as Ilka Suarez Boutique and Strawbridge & Clothier. In addition to traditional retail contexts, Aaronel’s letters also reveal that she regularly took custom orders or requests.
Digital sources proved useful in finding details and photographs of Aaronel’s life story, but it has limitations. Like many students, I do the majority of my academic research using online searches, even if they’re digitized books or photographs. However, using the artist’s archives for this project taught me how much new information unpublished printed sources can reveal. Even if I did not have trouble finding Aaronel mentioned as a sculptor or evidence of her numerous exhibitions over the years, her little-known jewelry endeavor was another story. Searching for her “Geometrics” range produces almost no sources on these commercial works, such that my own archival research into the brand - and this blog post - will provide new information on its history.
One highlight of the information in the archives was the relationship between Aaronel and her daughter, Jamie deRoy. Jamie moved to New York City as an adult and helped expand and run Geometrics there. Geometrics was registered as a brand in New York in 1972, and Jamie seemed responsible for the operations in the city. Aaronel sent letters to Jamie asking for inventory updates, and invoices, alongside family updates and general communication. I am seeking to undertake an interview with Jamie to further explore this mother-daughter business dynamic.
Overall, this experience has broadened my research skill set. I am much more confident using online databases and physical archives, opening up my research possibilities beyond what is accessible in a few searches online. I’ve learned that confidence and resources can make a huge difference in what is feasible for a research project, and I know that this experience will positively impact my future scholarly work.
Louise Matthews was a 2024 Tomayko Foundation Summer Research Fellow