NEW EXHIBITION IS SIMPLY STUNNING

Thinking of buying something really special for your loved one this Christmas? Something guaranteed to stand out and attract gasps of admiration? If so, go to the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro and have a look at the simply stunning display of silverware created by masters of the silversmiths’ craft.

From fabulous vases and elegant candlesticks to intricately designed ornaments and table centrepieces, each object is a work of art, demanding attention and totally seductive. It is the first time that the exhibition has been seen in the UK – a huge honour for the museum and a tremendous opportunity for people in the Westcountry to see such masterpieces close to home. Thanks to the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths which provided financial support, Truro is the opening venue after the exhibition’s widely acclaimed launch in Finland. SIDE X SIDE - EDGE > EDGE is the result of the first ever collaboration between Contemporary British Silversmiths, the Finnish Silversmiths Association and the students and staff at the Lahti University of Applied Sciences Institute of Design in Finland. Seventy five pieces of new work are featured – all in response to the themed title. Each participating maker was given 1kg of silver by sponsor Kultakeskus Oy, a Finnish manufacturer, to encourage their creative thinking. Two of the exhibiting silversmiths come from Cornwall – Charles Hall from Gwinear and Abigail Brown from Penryn - and both were present when Michael Galsworthy, Prime Warden of the Goldsmiths’ Company and Vice Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall, officially opened the show. Charles Hall used his kilo of silver to create Flotilla – seven dishes, in the form of boats, on a base of black polished granite that is 2ft 6in wide. The dishes can be picked up and moved but each is numbered on its base so that it can be returned to the absolute position the artist has given it. “Flotilla speaks of the decommissioning of the Newlyn fishing fleet and reflects better days,” said Charles, who trained at the Royal Academy of Art and who was a founding committee member of Contemporary British Silversmiths. “I love working with silver and I love the process of actually hitting the metal with a hammer. There are other marvellous techniques out there now, like rapid prototyping and electro-forming but, for me, nothing beats the sensation of producing something beautiful with the simplest tools in the trade.” Abigail Brown’s contribution to the exhibition is Homologous – two separate pieces that represent the idea of living side by side and being similar in structure and evolutionary origin but not necessarily in function. “My particular interest is in the lines, folds and forms of the human body and how these are continually changing,” said Abigail, who has won a series of awards during her career and who is Secretary of Contemporary British Silversmiths. “I design pieces that signify the warmth and softness of flesh in a material that is by nature hard and cold, creating a piece of silverware that is tactile, sensual and invites interaction.” Welcoming guests to the private view, Michael Galsworthy said Contemporary British Silversmiths comprised some of the most talented makers in the country. “Not only are they very gifted artists with a unique flair of design, they also possess technical virtuosity,” he said. “The objects they produce enrich the quality of our lives and I’m very proud, in my role as Prime Warden of the oldest and greatest livery companies in the city of London, to recommend their extraordinary work to you.” The exhibition runs at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro until 6 November. Charles Hall will be giving a lunchtime talk about the collection on Thursday 21 October from 1-2pm. Admission to both the exhibition and the talk is free. For more information, visit www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk or call the museum on 01872 272205 to reserve a place at the lunchtime event. Ends 23 September 2010 Photos (by Bernie Pettersen) 14: Flotilla by Charles Hall 01: CornerVases by Martin Baker 078: Seven Standing Still by Stuart Cairns Further photos available on request