Michael Stearns Studio Presents Mourning Glory, a solo exhibition
Every time one gazes upon Anne Olsen Daub’s creations, an enchanting surprise awaits. Her imagination, coupled with a flair for putting antiques and found objects together, beautifully contain an irresistible quality.
Her new exhibition, Mourning Glory, is a deeply personal collection born from the artist’s journey through grief following the passing of her mother. The work draws inspiration from the exquisite and poignant tradition of Victorian mourning jewelry.
During the late 19th century, the Victorian era marked Britain’s rise to global power, fueled by industrial, scientific and artistic advances — while also expanding its empire. In America, the coeval Guilded Age saw dramatic industrial expansion, big-business booms and rapid technological change. But the era — just as today — was defined by stark inequality, harsh labor conditions and political corruption.
The Victorian era also included a fascination with death. In 2025, as many mourn the America they once knew, Anne’s Mourning Glory reflects that sentiment with both hope and a touch of sardonic wit. It’s the beauty of the artist’s creative practice; she has harmonized an array of materials and found objects, evincing a place and time as she builds her vintage and sculptural pieces, rooted in a modern interpretation.
“I began with the Red Cornicello, an ancient Italian amulet for protection and good fortune that my mother wore in gold,” said Anne. “My intention was to honor her. So, I made a huge glittering red one. It’s an Italian amulet, a good luck charm to ward off the evil eye. It brings another element to mourning. I didn’t want it to be a depressing show. Just thoughtful.”
It took a long time to create, not only for its size, but because it went through becoming different colors, gold then red. Then Anne returned to a technique that she uses with glitter. It made her happy and reminisce about her mother.
“Then the mourning came with the country and halfway through [making] it, I felt like I’m almost mourning my mom too … I don’t think I really got a chance to [mourn]. These pieces are a remembrance, not just for my mother, but for the collective sense of loss we are currently enduring. The glittering Red Cornicello is there, too. It’s not a mourning piece of jewelry, but it enhances the mood by bringing good luck and hope.”
This piece sets the tone for a body of work that explores the beautiful, the dark, and the thoughtfully mournful, presenting historic symbolism of the Victorian era; weeping willows, stars and floral motifs. A theme of profound blackness runs throughout the exhibition, achieved with Musou black paint, a velvety, light-absorbing black that draws viewers in close to behold her work.
Anne said, except for this ‘WTF’ (painted in Victorian script on a gold charm hanging from Mourning Glory Chain) she’s very subtle.
“I didn’t want to point out anything … just the way we feel,” she said. “I mean, some people feel exactly like we do on the other side.”
Anne does not have favorites but loves Farewell because it’s so simple and yet complicated. The piece started out as different things. It was to be a necklace but took different configurations and just never made sense until realizing its current lush form, with opaque-black, velvety, robust flowers embodying life, suspended by the luxurious red ribbon.
Anne is spontaneous in her creations. With Reign of Tears, she knew it needed a cloud.
“As an artist with a background in fashion design … I feel there needs to be a cohesiveness [with] elements throughout the pieces that [connect] to … mourning, with the dark cloud,” Anne said.
Anne didn’t want the cloud to be too black but to relate more to another charm on her Mourning Glory Chain featuring a weeping willow tree in a dark silvery pewter and the word ‘Truth’ painted on a gravestone beside it. Anne revealed she was thinking of Vincent van Gogh’s clouds with the circles (Starry Night Over the Rhône) and how fun it was to bring painting into it.
In her last show, Multi-Faceted, at the Palos Verdes Art Center, Anne used the same technique on some pieces as she did on the cornicello. The combination of many multi layers of paint and glitter results in an exquisitely decadent finish. In a way, she said, all of these pieces have a quality of painting.
Staging Mourning Glory
Artist and gallerist Michael Stearns has shown Anne’s work several times. The gallery featured special lighting for this exhibition, with the curating team showcasing a “memorial vibe” by dimming the lights, adding a quietness while highlighting the artwork with a subdued presentation.
Stearns added, even though this started as a personal memoriam, as the world ‘progressed,’ it became a statement on where we’re at now in America, mourning what we’ve lost; women’s rights, checks and balances in the three branches of government, and freedom of speech, among others.
Show Stoppers
In confronting women’s rights, Stearns noted the piece Since the Dawn of Time represents the loss of women’s decision making. Anne’s friend gave her many pairs of shoes and one day, a particular pair stood out, reminding her of women’s rights. She added chains and tucked in a cut-out collage of Eve in the Garden of Eden holding the forbidden fruit, a witty touch, in the insole of the shoe.
“Calling it Since the Dawn of Time, is telling,” Anne said. “Since the dawn of time, [these matters are] personal, it’s private, it shouldn’t go on.”
Church and State at 22 by 20 inches forms a small child’s vintage baby-doll, black dress. Brass studs form an outline of a shield on the garment’s front, with a cross inside and a red glass gem in the center. Propped on a vintage wooden pedestal, the piece is adorable and haunting at once.
Anne loves theater elements. Looking ahead, the former fashion designer imagines creating figures like silhouettes, with ancient dress, painted and corrugated but with jewels. She created Church and State as this country was talking about religion in public schools.
Michael echoed that Reign of Tears is one of his favorite pieces because it takes on many facets of restrictions, politically, being pushed on people, he said.
“It’s a killer, it tells the whole story of melancholy and sadness now,” said Stearns. “The show makes beautiful statements about our needs and wishes to give protections, and how the world is now.”
He added that we will get over this (mourning) and we will change but we will go on. He hopes for something to come out of round two of this president — that people wake up.
“It’s started. They’ve seen how dark this world can be; we’ve looked into the [proverbial] volcano and it’s not what we want,” Michael said.
For Anne, she said what she is proud of is using sustainable materials and making them look the way they look.
“I do enjoy making these kinds of pieces. It’s different,” she said. “I don’t know what’s next. The materials tell me what I’m doing. But sometimes I think I’ll make [a piece] that sparkles like no one’s business. It would be fun to marry it all and put a bunch of pieces from this show and from [Multi-Facited] … put a lot of jewelry everywhere, hanging on the walls, on the floor, like you’re walking into a casket of jewels.
“I want to thank Michael and Edith, for all that they’ve done and their support. It’s been a heartfelt experience because of everything and it was a small show. I could really keep a cohesive theme. It makes it challenging and more fun.”
Curated by Michael Stearns and Edith MonDragon (MonDragon Fine Arts). Mourning Glory runs through Jan. 24.
Time: 1 to 5 p.m., Saturdays, 6 to 9 p.m., First Thursday ArtWalk, Jan. 1, by appointment, and 2 to 4 p.m. closing reception/artist talk, Jan. 24
Cost: Free
Details: 562-400-0544;
www.anneolsendaub.com
Venue: Michael Stearns Studio, Los Angeles Harbor Arts, 401 S. Mesa St., San Pedro