Curatorial Tour: Tuesday 03 May 2016, 1.00pm, Free, Drop in, meet at the Grand Entrance.

This event was followed by a demonstration by leading silversmith Rauni Higson: Tuesday 03 May 2016, 2.00pm to 4.30pm, meet at room 66: Silver Discovery Area, Silver Galleries.

The event was part of London Craft Week and supported by Arts Council England

Victoria and Albert Museum
Cromwell Road
South Kensington
London
SW7 2RL

+44 (0)20 7942 2000

Venue Information &
Facilities: Cafe, toilets, disabled access all available

Design critic, journalist and curator, Corinne Julius introduced the Silver Speaks: ‘Idea to Object’ display in the Silver Galleries in this curatorial talk held at the V&A.

Silver Speaks: ‘Idea to Object’ traces how a work in silver is brought into being from the inspiration, through sketches, models, material experimentation and construction processes, to the final piece. The selected designs in this free display at the V&A encompass a variety of beautiful and intriguing objects – both sculptural and functional – created using a range of different processes, from the traditional to the most cutting edge.

18 of Britain’s leading silversmiths, all of whom are members of Contemporary British Silversmiths, were selected by Corinne Julius. The featured craftspeople include Rauni Higson, Kevin Grey, a car-maker who helped make the Sultan of Brunei’s series of unique Bentleys and Juliette Bigley, a health care manager for the NHS – who all went on to train as silversmiths.

Silver Speaks is a year long series of events to be held around the country to celebrate the exceptional level of creativity and skill in British silversmithing today.

Curator Corinne Julius commented:

“British silversmithing is at the forefront of contemporary craft and Britain is the world’s centre for modern studio silver. Silver has become a medium of choice for the expression of ideas. Silver fell out of favour but is now being rediscovered and enjoyed by a new generation. When Contemporary British Silversmiths asked me to curate an exhibition, I wanted to show not only what an extraordinary material silver is, with its myriad qualities, but also how silversmiths use a combination of head, heart and hands to produce their work. The idea behind the object, how that is developed, the story it tells and the processes used in its making, are inherent components of the final work.”