Photograph by John F. Waggaman
Ruth Clark Radakovich and Svetozar “Toza” Radakovich were arguably the greatest love story in Objects: USA. Ruth was the sophisticated young starlet from Winnetka, who studied art at Sarah Lawrence, Mills College, and the University of Michigan. She flew planes, traveled the world, and worked in a bomb factory during the Second World War. Toza, on the other hand, endured a childhood of economic hardship in Belgrade. He grew up to become a painter and graphic designer, a ski champion whose Olympic future was curtailed by the war, and a soldier who endured starvation and forced labor at a Nazi POW camp before escaping with forged documents. The couple met in 1946 in Belgrade, while both were employed by the United Nations, but as Toza was forbidden to leave Yugoslavia, he and Ruth remained separated for years after she left the country.
He made various doomed attempts at escape, including crossing the Adriatic in a boat assembled from parts she sent him in the mail. After finally reuniting in Paris and engaging in further studies in Copenhagen, the couple settled in Rochester, New York, in 1955, to attend the School for American Craftsmen, where they studied metalwork. A few years later, they moved to Encinitas, California, where they remained for the rest of their lives. The spectacular diversity of their work resulted in their inclusion in four separate categories in Objects: USA (the most of any artist), but they are most celebrated today for their innovative use of lost wax casting techniques in jewelry and metalwork.
Pendant necklace and clasp in 14k gold and fiber. Designed and made by Svetozar Radakovich, circa 1940s, USA.
2.75" L x 1.75" W
7cm L x 4.4cm W
SM8082
Courtesy of Kim and Al Eiber
Pendant necklace in 18k gold and fiber. Designed and made by Ruth Clark and Svetozar Radakovich, circa 1950s, USA.
2" L x 1.75" W
5.1cm L x 4.4cm W
SM8080
Collection of Kim and Al Eiber
Pendant necklace and clasp in sterling silver, stone and fiber. Designed and made by Svetozar Radakovich, circa 1950s, USA.
3" L x 2.88" W
7.6cm L x 7.3cm W
SM8081
Courtesy of Kim and Al Eiber