The starting point for YES, NO and MAYBE was a ring that had lost its gemstone: “Where the stone had been, a piece of skin was now visible, making the ring much more personal in my eyes.” For his design, Rehberger worked with three classic ring settings in either gold, silver or bronze, which he covered with a layer of paint reminiscent of plastic; a further reflection on the (in-)visible value of jewellery. The precious metals underneath appear, if at all, only through wear and tear; or on the inside of the rings, where the titles YES, NO and MAYBE are engraved. Whichever ring is chosen is revealing, while at the same time, says almost nothing about the wearer. This is an ambiguity the artist intended: “I wanted to make a piece of jewellery that reflects on what it can mean to someone to wear jewellery.”
German artist Tobias Rehberger (b. 1966) studied with Martin Kippenberger and Thomas Bayrle at the Städelschule in Frankfurt – where he now teaches – and has exhibited at prestigious venues including the Whitechapel Gallery, Stedelijk Museum…
