Decorative and Domestic Metal and Silverware

23th May - 7th July 2013

Yorkshire Life

May 2013

METAL GURUS

Designers put a new spin on domestic silverware at Salts Mill

Silversmith Chris Philipson has lived in North Yorkshire for 43 years, in what he calls 'The House of Many Sheds'. And he's not wrong; there are several and one even contains a lawnmower museum.

But beautiful things emerge from his sheds, particularly an inauspiciouslooking old cowshed next to the orchard, where he crafts spoons, bowls, jewellery and even the occasional weathervane.

Chris, who worked on Louis Osman's eccentric design for Prince Charles' investiture coronet in 1969 and has created processional crosses, chalices and alms dishes for many Yorkshire churches, is now joining 12 other top metalsmiths in a new exhibition at Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery in Salts Mill, Saltaire.

Amongst the other makers represented in the Mighty Metalsmiths event are Rauni Higson, whose intricate rippling silver vessels are inspired by the wild beauty of her home on Snowdonia; Adrian Hope, who uses the traditional technique of hand-raising silver to produce finely fluted bowls; Adi Toch, who produces rounded tactile forms which combine elegance and functionality (her gently rocking oil and vinegar set recently won the Goldsmith's Best New Design Award); Chien-Wei Chang, who uses the natural form of

bamboo to create exquisite vases and Sheffield-based Rebecca Joselyn, whose quirky pieces explore the modern throwaway culture of convenience (her gilded silver milk jug mimics a crushed tin can).

The gallery is hosting a special free event on Sunday June 9th - there will be limited space, so it's wise to book ahead - with Rauni Higson, who will be discussing her inspirations and her approach to commissions, particularly a wedding

present for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge from the People of the Royal County of Berkshire.

Avid collector and Crafts Council patron Jacqueline Gestetner will also be on hand to talk about the joys of collecting contemporary silver.

'Commissioning has the same emotional appeal as inheriting an heirloom piece,' she said. 'It's a really personal experience witnessing how something is made from its inception.'

The Mighty Metalsmith: Decorative and Domestic Metal and Silverware will run at Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery in Salts Mill, Saltaire from May 23rd to July 7th. For further information, visit kathlibbertjewellery.co.uk.

Image Captions:

Above: Chris Philipson's silver ladles look like they have a tale (or should that be tail?) to tell

Right: Adi Toch's award-winning oil and vinegar vessels

Homes & Antiques

June 2013

MORE TO METAL

When you think of gold and silversmiths you tend to think of jewellery. But the exhibition 'The Mighty Metalsmith' in Saltaire from 23rd May to 7th July focuses on how you can commission makers to produce something for your home too. Top metalsmiths, including Rauni Higson (see p122), are exhibiting pieces for the dining table such as bowls and cutlery cast in beautiful metals. Other items include Marcus Steel's metal clock and Adrian Hope's 'Snowflute' bowls, pictured. The show is at jeweller Kath Libbert's studio at Salts Mill in the Yorkshire World Heritage Site. On Sunday 9th June, Rauni will be giving a talk on the inspiration behind her rippling silverware. Also speaking will be Crafts Council patron Jacqueline Gestetner, who will share the pleasure of collecting contemporary silver.

01274 599790; kathlibbertjewellery.co.uk

House & Garden

June 2013

DIARY

Design-focused fairs and exhibitions

THE MIGHTY METALSMITH

May 23-July 7 at Kalh Libbert Jewellery Gallery, Salts Mill, Saltaire, West Yorkshire

A selling exhibition of domestic and decorative metalwork by 13 leading artists, combining traditional techniques with modern flair. Pictured Adrian Hope with silver bowl. www.kathlibbertjewellery.co.uk

Financial Times

How To Spend It

May 20th 2013

Silver style

A silverware exhibition with glamorous flair and tactile appeal

by NICOLE SWENGLEY

Glamour, allure and functionality are qualities that give contemporary silverware its desirable edge. The skills involved in combining traditional craft techniques with an elegant modern aesthetic to create such objects will be wonderfully demonstrated by 13 top designer-makers in a selling exhibition opening this week in Bradford.

Take Rauni Higson’s Aflame bowl (£2,800), whose rippled base and 3D, leaf-like decoration are inspired by her Snowdonia homeland, or Chien-Wei Chang’s bamboo-shaped water can series (second picture, from £800), which references a natural element of his native China. Both designer-makers unite skilled craftsmanship with contemporary sensibilities, while Adrian Hope’s Snowflute bowls (from £400) are perfect examples of how a traditional technique (hand-raised silver) can be employed to create designs with strong contemporary appeal.

Many of the pieces on show have exhibition gravitas, yet can be used on a daily basis. Adi Toch’s rounded oil and vinegar pourers (first picture, £1,850 for a set), which recently won the Goldsmith’s Company Best New Design award, would make dressing a salad a tactile, pleasurable experience. Jacqueline Scholes’ condiment dishes (£600) could prove a conversation-sharpener at cocktail hour, and Sally Cox’s endearing caddy spoon (£240) is likely to become a friend for life.

Dramatic eye-catchers include Abigail Brown’s imposing fruit bowl (£4,000) and Swirling vase (£1,250), while quirkier pieces include Rebecca Joselyn’s gilded Crushed Can jug (£740) and Ring Pull salt and pepper bowls (£490 for the set) from her Packaging series, which explores themes related to throwaway consumerism. More personal wares include Marion Kane’s elegant storage boxes (third picture, from £290) and Jenifer Wall’s spectacle cases made from steel inset with silver (from £510).

All the designer-makers in this show at Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery accept commissions and, at a special event on Sunday June 9, Rauni Higson will discuss her techniques, inspiration and approach to commissions, while Crafts Council patrons Jacqueline and Jonathan Gestetner will share the pleasures that collecting contemporary silver brings. “Commissioning has the same emotional appeal as inheriting an heirloom piece – it’s a really personal experience witnessing how something is made from its inception,” says Jacqueline, by way of a teasing opening gambit.

The Mighty Metalsmith runs from Thursday May 23 to Sunday July 7 2013 at Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery, Salts Mill, Saltaire, Bradford, West Yorkshire BD18 3LA (01274-599 790;

www.kathlibbertjewellery.co.uk). Booking is required for the free event on Sunday June 9.

Antiques Trade Gazette

25th May 2013

dealers' diary

Anna Brady reports

Silver sale in Saltaire

LONDON Selection's focus last week (ATG No 2091) on contemporary silver offered a selection of current exhibitions by today's top silversmiths.To add to that list is The Mighty Metalsmith: Decorative and Domestic Metal and Silverware from May 23 to July 7 at the Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery at Salts Mill, Saltaire, near Bradford, a selling show from 13 metalsmiths.

"Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful," said William Morris, which neatly encompasses a large section of the collecting field and Abigail Brown's silver salt and pepper bowls pictured above fulfil both of his criteria.

Created from a flat sheet using a hammer-forming technique, these 22ct fine silver-giit dishes have been exhibited at the Goldsmiths' Hall and Fortnum & Mason and are one of Abigail's most successful designs. The pair are priced at £1500 at the show.

www.kathlibbertjewellery.co.uk

Craft Arts International

No88, 2013

THE MIGHTY METALSMITH

Decorative and Domestic Metal and Silverware

Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery, Salts Mill, Saltaire, 23 May - 7 July, 2013

'Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.' These words of William Morris are as relevant today as when he wrote them in his lecture of 1880, "The Beauty of life". He hoped for a return to craftsmanship, the maker being the designer and creator in a world of industrialisation and mechanisation. These hopes are being realised in today's thriving studio craft scene, with independent designer/makers finding there is an emerging market for their highly individual, beautifully crafted products.

"The Mighty Metalsmith" has been curated around this ideology, with 13 of the finest UK-based metal and silversmiths being featured in an exhibition which will champion both the domestic and decorative aspects of their craft. To emphasise this, the gallery will have a model for the contemporary silverware collector's home, the main feature being a dressed table, enabling visitors to engage with the works in a manner often unseen in a formal gallery setting. The cutlery, vessels, beakers, pots and bowls on display will not just be ornaments destined to sit on a shelf as objects of admiration. Instead they will be pieces to be used and cherished and evolve into the antiques and treasured heirlooms of the future.

The exhibition will also focus on the thoughts and processes which each metalsmith goes through before and during the making of a piece. The work of Stuart Cairns, for example, questions the ideas of domesticity and function by playing with unusual materials and forms, reflecting our ancient history as hunter gatherers and the origins of craft as we know it today. He uses gathered materials and natural fibres to produce a series of work exploring a particular part of the dining experience, ladles and vessels being two elements he has often revisited. Cairns will show his pieces alongside selected pages from his sketchbook, illustrating the daily gathering of found objects and their morphing into the sensitive sculptural forms that make up his collection.

Chien-Wei Chang also explores a theme which has long been associated with human kind, that of representing cultural history and community in domestic and decorative crafts. He is influenced by the utensils of ancient Taiwanese society and in particular the symbolism of bamboo, which inspires his exquisitely elegant containers. In employing these forms Chang engages with issues of Far Eastern culture, particularly resonant to him since moving to London from his homeland.

Craft as a social commentary is what interests Sheffield-based Rebecca Joselyn. Her "Packaging" series of quirky pieces explores the culture of convenience and "throwaway" in our society - for example, her gilded silver milk jug mimics a crushed tin can and her salt and pepper pots are inspired by ring pulls! Such common items become "art", something to treasure and take care of but yet still retain the exact form of the thing which was initially thrown away.

The wild beauty of her home in Snowdonia is what inspires Rauni Higson who makes rippling silver vessels and spoons. The growth patterns of plants and fungi, shells and corals all emerge from the intricate yet unpredictable nature of the folding and hammering techniques she employs, reflecting the "imperfect" symmetry of the natural world.

Contrasting the natural with the built environment, Birmingham based Marcus Steel's inspiration stems from his love of ancient and modern architecture. His pieces are complex in structure but simple and uncluttered in their form. Made from sheet metal and patinated to add intensity, richness and depth to the surfaces suggestive of age and history, these vessels hint at function, are tactile and inviting, contemplative pieces that need to be handled.

The other Mighty Metalsmiths featured in the exhibition are: Adi Toch, Jenifer Wall, Adrian Hope, Sally Cox, Marion Kane, Jacqueline Scholes, Chris Philipson and Abigail Brown.

Based since 1996 in Salts Mill, home to the world's largest collection of art by David Hockney, the Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery has always been a place to visit for those wishing to commission a special piece of jewellery; and now

the gallery is taking this knowledge and experience into the field of contemporary silverware to encourage the commissioning of fine objects for the home. The 13 Mighty Metalsmiths in this show will all take commissions - a great opportunity to become personally involved in the creation of a treasured piece that can be passed down the generations for years to come. There will also be a special Collectors' Event where silversmith Rauni Higson and Crafts Council Patron and collector Jacqueline Gestetner will be talking about commissioning contemporary silverware from both the maker's and customer's perspective.

Yorkshire Post Magazine,

My Yorkshire….

13th July 2013

SALLY COX

Sally Cox is an up and coming silversmith. Born in Leeds, she now lives in Bingley and works closely with Kath Libbert Jewellery based in Salts Mill.

What's your first Yorkshire memory?

Having been born in Leeds, I have many fond memories of the county. One that really stands out is sitting with the lions on top of their majestic plinths outside the Town Hall watching the 1994 Leeds International Classic cycle race with my family. We had spent the day following the race and waving our yellow flags. We also sat on a dry stone wall on one of the bends of the course between Ilkley and Menston watching excitedly as all these bikes whizzed past.

What's your favourite part of the county - and why?

Wharfedale is an amazing place. It's only a short journey from home, but the landscape couldn't be more different. I have spent many days walking, riding or cycling in the area's hills and valleys. Driving past Kilnsey Cragg is always impressive be it in the glare of the midday sun or during the winter when it is dripping in icicles. It is such a strong feature of the landscape and never fails to take your breath away.

What's your idea of a perfect day, or a perfect weekend, out in Yorkshire?

Seaside trips to the east coast have always been a favourite excursion. Even simple pleasure like collecting shells, pebbles and the occasional fossil with my partner and the dogs somehow always seems to to turn into an adventure.

Do you have a favourite walk - or view?

I love the canal. You can see such a variety of things on walks along it from the amazing engineering of the locks and bridges to the natural beauty of the wildlife and the rolling views on either side. I live in Bingley and will often walk along the canal to work at Kath Libbert Jewellery in Salts Mill. I know it will be a good day when I see the Mandarin duck that is often found on this stretch of the waterway!

Which Yorkshire stage or screen star, past or present would you like to take for dinner?

I would take Michael Palin. He would have so many amazing tales to tell of places to go and people to see that the evening should be one to remember.

What do you think gives Yorkshire its unique identity?

I think places are made by people and Yorkshire is lucky to have an enormous amount of warm, honest and friendly people.

Do you have a favourite restaurant or pub?

Melton's Too in York is lovely. I have a lot of family in the city and it has become a favourite place to go. It serves seasonal local produce in a beautiful building which used to be an old saddler's workshop. The exposed bricks and beams create a really charming place.

Do you have a favourite food shop?

I love Leeds Market. The colours and textures of the produce are only part of the visual feast on offer within the ornate walls of the setting. There's also the welcome distraction from the mundane task of food shopping, in the bric-a-brac stalls filled with trinkets and curios which add their own excitement.

How do you think that Yorkshire haschanged, for better or for worse, in the time that you've known it?

Despite always considering Yorkshire home, I would find it hard to tell what has changed. My appreciation for the county has grown as I discover more of its many wonders. Yorkshire has always been a great place to be and I think that will remain, but what will change is the number of people who know of its brilliance.

Who is the Yorkshire person that you most admire?

A silversmith called Cameron Maxfiled. He is such a creative talent and a genuinely great Yorkshire man with a generous nature. Max has been a big support to me as a young silversmith. He has such a depth of technical knowledge that he willingly shares and encourages you to challenge yourself.

Has Yorkshire influenced your work?

Being Yorkshire born and bred, I have undoubtedly been influenced by the people and places that surround me. Flowing lines and sculptural qualities in the landscape never cease to amaze me. I also find the striking architecture found in our towns and cities to be equally impressive. I think that it is the balance between these two elements that makes my silver collection full of elegant lines and graceful forms.

Name your favourite Yorkshire book/Author/artist/CD/performer.

Sheffield born David Mellor, at heart a brilliant craftsman but he has also turned his eye to a number of design jobs showing an amazing versatility. He is best known for his cutlery which can be seen as it is being made in The Round Building at Hathersage nestled in the Peak District. This is a unique experience and reveals some of the magic behind the design and production process.

If a stranger to Yorkshire only had time to visit one place, it would be?

Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a stunning place to visit. Set in incredible and extensive grounds it has a variety of seasonal exhibitions showcasing a diverse range of work. With work by Moore, Hepworth and many others dotted though the landscape there is nothing more enticing than gently strolling around!

• Sally's silversmithing collection can currently be seen at Kath Libbert Jewellery Gallery in Salts Mill,Saltaire www.kathlibbertjewellery/themightymetalsmith

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