Head, Heart, Hammer and Fire

The island of Ireland, for many centuries, has been an oasis of creative artistic energy. In its art, poetry, prose, voice, music, and artefacts, Ireland has witnessed many cultural expressions from the diverse civilisations that have inhabited it. One clear strand that has run from pre-Celtic times to the present day is that of fine metalwork. Utility vessels, decorative and ceremonial artefacts and ecclesiastical wares have been the mainstay for many craft workers during the evolving periods of the island’s history. From the humble bronze utensils to the majestic gold reliquaries, a common attitude to production can be evidenced … that of possessing a deep understanding of form, function, detail, material manipulation and the ability to risk take. Now, in this age of the sound bite and a ‘throwaway’ societal attitude, it is truly refreshing to find that sophisticated, high quality applied arts still exist and are flourishing in our modern culture. ‘Silver Connections’ by Michael McCrory, Deirdre McCrory and their daughter Cara Murphy is a clear testimony to the intellectual endeavour and mastery of materials and processes that are at the cutting edge of silversmithing and applied arts practice today.

Michael McCrory’s work, for this exhibition, is based on his current research into deep drawing and pressing of silver plate. He was first inspired by this process in 1985 when reading an article by Susan Kingsley in Metalsmith.1 Kingsley’s article dealt with hydraulic die forming of metal for jewellery production, but Michael quickly saw the possibilities for applying the technique to silverware on a much larger scale. It was not until a visit to Bonny Doon Engineering, California, USA in 2003 where he met Lee Marshall, that his ideas were affirmed. Lee Marshall and metalsmith Phil Poirier had developed a technique for deep drawing metal by machining hollow steel formers. Michael was able to adopt this initial concept and develop it much further for his own work. This innovative process acts as the main stimulus for his new design concepts. However, the quality of his work comes from a lifetime’s experience as a practicing silversmith and educator. His raison d’être is clearly articulated in a recent publication: “Silverware to me has to be aesthetically pleasing with a sculptural visual strength. My designs are founded on a balance of line, form and proportion, which harmonize with the detail in the tactile finished form.”2

The Finnish silversmith Bertel Gardberg eloquently describes the essence of making: “The best technical solutions are often found when work is in progress; it is often hard to see at the drawing board how ideas and concepts are best realised. The resilience of beaten metal, the tension of the solid material or the right distribution of weight can only be felt in the hand.”3

In analysing Michael McCrory’s working methods, this statement especially holds true due to the new techniques he is currently testing to produce the initial forms, prior to hand finishing. Innovative use of hydraulic pressure and specially designed press-tools allow hollow ware forms to be manufactured rapidly. Once the main body part has been produced, the hand forming process can then proceed. Most of his initial design concepts are now computer-generated which is also a major transition from the conventional craft approach of ‘Head, Heart and Hand’. However, it is in the final hand shaping of the vessel that an informed and intuitive response to the material finally brings a qualitative resolve.

A recent visit to Crete by Michael and Deirdre has influenced a number of pieces for this show. We see, in the set of Four Spouted Jugs (Fig 1) by Michael McCrory, a clear reference to Greek pottery from the Crete museum’s ceramic collection. The bold forms, exaggerated spouts, sculptural handles and various textural finishes give this set a unique presence. Each jug has been press-formed starting with the same size disc of silver and Michael has pushed the metal to its technical and aesthetic limits in order to gain further insight into the manufacturing process without losing sight of his philosophical objective. The large Water Jug (Fig 2) has a similar dynamic, but there are also other points of reference when considering this piece. The elegance of proportion and quality of craftsmanship have a resonance with earlier work by such master silversmiths as Georg Jensen, Christopher Dresser and Robert Welch, not to mention the water pitchers and ewers of earlier civilisations. Using the same press-forming techniques, Michael has produced two teapots that exploit his mechanical manufacturing prowess and hand fabrication expertise. In the second we see him also exploring spatial problems when dealing with the design of the anticlastic handle that is both sculptural and functional. The more classic approach to handle design in the first is complemented by the introduction of a lava machined knob and ‘prickly pear cacti’ pimple decoration. This style of decoration features in a number of Michael’s designs and the cacti theme runs through both Michael and Deirdre’s work. The pimple decoration also plays an important part of the finish on the Pepper and Salt Mills (Fig 3). The surface finishes that vary from matt to heavily oxidised further enhance the elegant form of these functional pieces. However, there is another practical reason for the choice of finish … it helps hide finger marks! The characteristic classical shapes, attention to detail and surface finish are also much in evidence in the Oil and Vinegar Flasks and Tray (Fig 4) and the Sugar Caster. However, the Sugar Caster has an extra surprise, as does the Condiment Set and Tray (Fig 5). If we look closely at these objects, we will see that the contents are filled through a centre conical form that acts as a funnel when upright but as a deflector once upturned. The small Candle Holders and the articular Candelabra (Fig 6) present the user with options for table decoration by either juxtaposition of objects or changing of structure. This idea of altered states and innovative, yet subtle detailing is the hallmark of Michael’s work.

Collaboration with other artists is also a theme running through the exhibition. For the production of the range of servers, Michael McCrory has teamed up with renowned potter Peter Meanley who supplied the salt glazed handles that act as a strong foil for the silver utensil heads. Also, on the theme of collaboration, the Salt Cellars encapsulates the ‘connection’ between Michael and Deirdre’s work. Michael’s joy of form making and functionality is complimented by Deirdre’s decorative enamel work … a truly co-joint marriage of materials, form and function.

Deirdre McCrory’s work reflects her inherent visual empathy with detail and natural form that manifests itself in intricate enamel plaques and latterly on the printed image. Her work encapsulates all her earlier skills as a jeweller, artist and teacher. There is a subtle three-dimensional depth within the enamel work that is both innovative and refined. Her new interest in printmaking also shows a continuity of concern for line, colour and detail as found in nature. Overall, the creative interpretation and technical competence of her work adds to its lasting quality. Enamelling is one of those processes that is fraught with the unknown. It is only through years of experience that the craftsperson gains any ability to control the outcome. The design historian Thomas Hauffe breaks design down into three main ‘function’ groupings: “Its practical, technical function; its aesthetic function; its symbolic function.”4 Each of these ’functions’ is celebrated in Deirdre McCrory’s enamelled plaques.

One cannot think of a more mundane, yet iconic symbol of the late 20th and early 21st centuries than the common pair of jeans. Here, in a series of cream and blue enamelled plaques, Deirdre has focussed on the detail of the garments to create visually stimulating artworks that combine all the skills of the artist/designer and craftsperson. By using cloisonné and painted enamel techniques with the additional application of press formed silver buttons, she has brought to the viewer, a set of close observations that require quiet contemplation in terms of high skill and artistic intent. This quality of intense personal observation and interpretation is no better illustrated than in the set of cacti pieces (Fig 7), that combine fine wires and black oxide to give subtle dimensionality to the two-dimensional image. Using photo intaglio on a copper base, which is then deeply etched, provides a depth of field for the transparent enamel overlay. Deirdre’s control of colour, form and detail is a fine balance of variables that culminate in a series of works that provides an evocative reminder of personal visits to distant lands. Their manufacture, aesthetic presence and symbolism encapsulate the essence of the craft.

Animals, insects and flowers have constantly featured in Deirdre’s work. For this exhibition, she has developed a series of images based on the locust using photo-intaglio image processing on copper plates. Once etched, the plates have then been treated in various ways to exploit the linear and decorative qualities of the insect form to produce a range of embossed and muted viscosity prints. When all print work has finally been completed, she has celebrated the plate’s intrinsic qualities by firing it with an overlay of transparent enamel (Fig 8), thus encapsulating the image in a permanent membrane for posterity. The locust and cacti are inter-connected in the monotype print, where the delicacy of two-dimensional detail is clearly referenced from her three dimensional enamel plaques. Cacti again are replicated in the printed images (Fig 9) using photo-intaglio, carborundum, Chine-collé and viscosity print techniques. It is this attention to detail and complexity of production that characterises Deirdre McCrory’s approach to her subject. Her mastery of fine line and control over etching and enamelling processes can be seen in her ‘Fence’ (Fig 10) and ‘Seed Head’ plaques. These pieces are a quintessential expression of the merging of art and craft at the highest level.

Cara Murphy’s work is focussed on the ‘landscape of tableware’ and through this she questions the ‘contexts, boundaries and function in silverware’. This is particularly evident in some of her large centre-pieces where there is a literal, as well as a metaphysical, interpretation of the ploughed field, with organic forms growing from their new-tilled wooden bases. On reflection, Cara states: “Functionality has always been a fundamental aspect of my work and for several pieces the driving force behind the work. This body of work has seen a move away from highly functional objects, with the earlier work made for the exhibition ‘drawing with materials’ to investigate the organic grown form. The function follows form now in the work, as opposed to form follows function.”

The introduction of wood plays an important role in several of her designs and for this, she has collaborated with the highly skilled furniture maker, Jeremy Suffern. (Cara and Jeremy share the same great grandparents, thus maintaining a strong family link for all the work in this exhibition.) Cara also incorporates numerous other materials within her practice: “I have always had a fascination for materials and how they interact with silver. Occasionally the work is influenced by a material but more often the material is researched while the design evolves.” Her need for constant evaluation of the design variables is inherent in the making process. When additional materials are introduced, this need for intuitive decision-making becomes paramount in maintaining integrity with the intended outcome. In the organic, tactile, and spatial tableware solutions that Cara produces, this need for iterative and sensitive evaluation is at the heart of her design methodology. She is a deeply reflective artist whose engagement with her subject provides an intensity of purpose that lifts each piece to a philosophical level rarely achieved by one so young.

When contemplating her approach to work for this exhibition, Cara explains: “‘Gathered Pebbles’ (Fig 11), forms a significant starting point for the work for ‘Silver Connections’ … the act of gathering the perfect pebble enriched by translating them into silver.” The act of gathering both metaphorically and physically gives a very personal insight to Cara’s design psyche. By searching for perfection in the object and in the gesture, the artefacts are imbued with integrity of purpose that tests the boundaries of possibility. The bowl, in either disc or egg forms, features repeatedly in Cara’s designs. In ‘Sway’, her ‘drawing in metal’ using fine stainless steel wire tipped with 18ct gold punctuations, creates a visual dynamic of movement and instability, as the calligraphic fronds intersect the silver dishes and play randomly in space. Organic free forms again are used effectively to interact with the silver bowls where forged rods appear to grow from the flat surface, pierce the purity of bowl form and progress towards infinity. In each of these two pieces, the strength of linear form, reflection in the curvature of the vessel and attention to scale and balance provide a harmonious composition.

The linear/growth theme is further developed in the set of three candleholders (Fig 12). Here Cara has used the same anticlastic raising technique as seen in her father’s teapot handle, and exploits the process’s characteristics to extend the sense of physical strength and visual impact of the objects. The entwined tentacles growing through the base plate act as a dynamic counterfoil to the candle’s simplicity. In the salt and pepper set (Fig 13), the concept of new growth springing from the earth is elegantly expressed with the introduction of dark wood. This dark ‘earth’ is machined in uniform ‘furrows’ to hold the salt and pepper. The spoons stand in casual abandon in anticipation of action to come. In use, the spoons will scoop the furrows’ contents and scatter their riches on plates of conviviality. The ritual associated with eating and drinking has always interested Cara, and in referring to the set of small drinking vessels, she states: ”Readdressing functionality in the work, emphasising the interaction not only of the silver with another material, sandstone in this instance, the placement of each cup being important and the ritual evoked by drinking from the silver cup.” This ritualistic underpinning is further enforced in the centrepiece (Fig 14). Its geometric ebony base stands foursquare on the table providing a ‘landing place’ for the series of silver cups which perch precariously along its ridges like a huddle of well-fed wood pigeons. In use, diners will replace the cups randomly after each sip, thus unsuspectingly changing its visual dynamic as the meal progresses.

‘The Field’ (Fig 15), epitomises Cara Murphy’s skill, refinement, intellect and creativity as a leading silversmith. This large centrepiece, due to its scale and choice of materials, introduces a powerful evocation of the rural landscape as often seen in Ireland. The very dark wenge is redolent of fresh ploughed loam with strong shoots bursting forth. The juxtaposition of each silver candle holder has been carefully considered in relation to its neighbour and to the overall composition. The artistic allegory of material, craftsmanship and vision make this work a major tour de force.

Upon reviewing the exhibition, one can find philosophical and practical responses to the testing of boundaries in creative metalwork and associated materials. There is a strong connection between the various works on display and those of earlier times. A tactile, refined and evocative sense of empathy with time and place, material and function, form and intention can be seen and felt when contemplating each piece. Naturally there is also a strong connection between the three crafts people in terms of mutual respect for their materials, processes, and concepts. Michael McCrory, Deirdre McCrory and Cara Murphy each have presented work that individually, and as a whole, demonstrates a talent for creativity, innovation and quality of production. The one constant throughout the work is silver. Many other materials are also incorporated within the array of artefacts on display, but the malleable and intrinsic qualities of silver provide a thread of continuity that harmoniously binds the work of all three applied artists.

Professor Brian McClelland
Chairman, Craft Northern Ireland
2006

  1. METALSMITH, ‘Hydraulic Die Forming for Artist/Metalsmith’, S. Kingsley, 1985
  2. Contemporary Silver, Rabinovitch, B., Clifford, H., Merrell Publishers Limited, 2000, ISBN 1 85894 104 0
  3. FORM.FUNCTION.FINLAND. 3, The 120th Anniversary of the Finnish Society of Crafts and Design, 1995 ed. Stenros, A., 1995
  4. DESIGN, A Concise History, Lawrence King Publishing, London, 1995, ISBN 1 85669 534 9