Don’t be fooled; not all shiny silver things are valuable even when bought or sold, collected or inherited. Silver objects are sadly often placed behind locked glass and handled with cotton gloves. I prefer things to be used, to get dirty and dented – you can always knock those dents out.
Silver is the most versatile of materials, from its multiple shades of grey to its relationship with foods like salt and sugar. There’s always more to discover.
BERMONDSEY
BEAUTY
Until 1995, London’s infamous Bermondsey market was known as an ‘open market’ where you could sell stolen silver between the hours of sunset and sunrise. For this piece, I removed a single foot from a ‘stolen’ silver tray. This was replicated, stacked up and soldered into a very posh four-tiered cake form. The trick to the piece is that when inverted, it becomes a ‘bucket’ taking you from the high table back to the gutter.
Bermondsey Beauty
Material Sterling Silver
Dimensions 26 x26 x 30cm
Year 2005
Location Private Collection UK
DOA
DEAD ON ARRIVAL
A tea service not standing, but at rest and laying down, housed in its presentation box or ‘coffin’. The lead had been used to ‘finish off’ these redundant pieces. Continuously polished for years but never used, they are intended to show material wealth. This piece is designed to remind us that death comes to us all and demonstrates how the power of objects can support us in talking about difficult subjects with more ease.
DOA ( Dead On Arrival)
Material Sterling Silver, Lead
Dimensions 40 x 40 x 50cm
Year 2012
Location Public Collection Röhsska Museum Sweden
INSALTED
Baked in an oven Gas mark 2 for 12 hours. What appears is a ‘caked’ piece of silver. As the salt corrodes and pits silver, the rules and regulations are broken, presenting the dilemma of what you value? The silver or the journey of seeing this piece disintegrate slowly over time.
Insalted
Material Sterling Silver, Common Table Salt
Dimensions 12 x 7 x 7cm
Year 2020
Location Private Collection UK
STASH
This collection is all about excess, abundance and opulence and is a direct counterpoint to years of austerity followed by Covid-19. Here many silver bowls have exchanged their dull lids, replaced by crowns, exaggerated and at times extreme, a different expression for the dining table. Hidden within are secret compartments perfect for stashing sweets and other treats, all to tempt your guests.
Stash
Material Pewter, Silver Plate, Steel
Dimensions 30 x 18 x 18cm
Year 2020
Location Private Collection UK
Available
SWEETHEART
Sugar, like salt, is a preservative and was traditionally used to maintain fruits so they would last through the winter months. Taking this idea and adding an ironic twist, I’ve used the most sentimental symbol, the love heart and conserved this solid silver version in sugar. Besides its sweetness, it protects and also evokes the nostalgic feelings many have for historical silver.
Sweetheart
Material Sterling Silver, Sugar (by Natalie Smith)
Dimensions 9 x 9 x 3cm
Year 2014
Location Private Collection USA
TERRA GRAVY DAKTAL
Humour in life is essential. To laugh is good for the heart and soul. Often things can get too heavy, or we try to be too profound. Here you have a collision of a few spouts that become sturdy legs, hoisting up the beast mid-stride, and there you have it – a prehistoric monster roaming across your table.
Terra Gravy Daktal
Material Silver Plate
Dimensions 20 x 10 x 20cm
Year 2009
Location Private Collection Switzerland
