Inherited editor Beth Hodges interviews contemporary silversmith and jewellery maker Alex O’Connor.
B: Firstly, please could you introduce yourself and your practice to our readers who are unfamiliar with your work
A: My name is Alex O’Connor and I am primarily a silversmith, as well as a jeweller. I have been doing this since 2017.
B: Could you talk me through a few of the techniques applied in your work?
A: I start with basic techniques, such as sawing. I often use a fine bladed jewellers saw and for bigger pieces, I use a bandsaw. Another tool I commonly use is a scoring tool, which can be made from an old file. The purpose of this is to score a groove in the silver, so that it can then be folded along the score. This is a very traditional method, historically used for making crisp, fine objects, such as metal boxes. I use them to shape metal and create forms, like my vessels. I do some hammering in my work, often in the form of ‘raising’, where I hammer a disk of silver over a steel stake. I use different tools for creating the finishes of my pieces, such as polishing or texturing. Sometimes I scour the surface of a piece with abrasives. In general, I use traditional tools that have been brought up to date with modern technology. Spinning is a technique, alongside polishing, which I outsource to specialists in that particular area. Spinning involves a spinning lathe with a chuck. It’s a highly specialised technique and there are only a handful of good spinners left in the industry.
B: What draws you to silver as a material to work with?
A: Although the price for silver is high and this can sometimes dictate designs, silver is a wonderful material to work with. I often work with sterling silver, which is alloyed with copper, to make it stronger. Fine silver is much softer and requires folding or chasing to give it strength. Maybe take that out as it sounds a bit critical! With sterling silver, you anneal it (apply heat and relax it). This allows you to bend, twist and hammer the silver. Press forming (I use a hydraulic press) allows me to create beautiful, smooth and seductive shapes. This can be done with hammering too. Silver can also be finished in different ways, changing its surface. It can be highly polished to give a chrome appearance. Through using abrasives or a pumice, it can also be given a soft, milky finish. To texture pieces, I sometimes put them in a warm pitch and then use a hammer and steel punch. Silver is beautiful but challenging, both technically and in terms of its cost. It can be a rather harsh mistress, but also very magical and I think most silversmiths would say the same thing. Previously, sterling silver was a popular material due to its practicality and strength. Silver has oligodynamic properties- which makes it anti-bacterial. This is probably where colloidal silver came from. Silver was superseded by steel and stainless steel, due to industrial processing and cost.
B: Could you tell me how you both maintain the traditional aspects of silversmithing in your work, whilst creating innovative and experimental pieces for your collections?
A: Anyone who works with silver, beyond the scale of jewellery is maintaining tradition. Through whatever iteration a silversmith chooses, they are tapping into a long tradition. Many aspects of basic tooling would be familiar to silversmiths from 100s of years ago. We still use heat, but instead of an open fire with bellows we now use propane and air. We use acid to pickle the oxides off silver and we still use hammers and stakes. The techniques of scoring and folding are age old, as well as soldering. Metal spinning is also traditional, in the context of the industrial revolution. Core skills are very important. Tradition is vital and becoming familiar with techniques and tools is the foundation from which silversmithing grows but it can be augmented through digital techniques, for example. It’s a tricky and interesting question. My work is pretty much hands-on, it’s just tools and my hands, which is how studio and artisan silversmithing has always been.
B: Do you think it is considered to be controversial when silversmiths move away from traditional techniques?
A: The advent of studio silver, with silversmiths such as Gerald Benney (who was also an enameller) opened the door to different approaches to silver. Michael Rowe, who was a tutor at the Royal College of Art, also embraced and advocated a different philosophy. There was less demand for functional silver objects, and this necessitated working with new forms and concepts. David Clarke is a highly skilled silversmith whose practice, has become much more increasingly experimental. He is a fascinating and restless silversmith. He carried out experiments, such as putting salt into silver to see what happened (it etches and burns the silver). He has actually just become a freeman of the Goldsmiths company. Sculptural silver objects and art objects were key in the development of silversmithing over the last 40 to 50 years. Contemporary craft in general is often a cross over of design, function, art, and concepts which I think is quite healthy.
B: Your pieces are wonderfully balanced between fulfilling both a decorative and utilitarian function for your collectors. Could you speak about how you have achieved this and perhaps touch upon the common belief that collectable and precious pieces should be admired, but not used?
A: I really think it’s about the attitude of the collector and this isn’t a cop out! My hope for the pieces I create is that they find a space in a home and a life. One of my vessels, for example could hold roses, or freesias or an orchid and this would fulfil its purpose. I hope that my pieces feel beautiful in the hands of its owner. I also aim for my pieces to work in a space or on a surface. They can be enjoyed and added to, or used as art objects in a static state. They can be put in different configurations, as I often make the pieces in groups. If the collectors of my items decide to use them, they need to accept them being marked, tarnished and getting dusty. When I make and sell something, it takes on another life. A craftsman I recently visited makes pewter bowls, which are initially crisp, clean and precise, but over time, they are used by families and become dented with a lovely patina. With my tumblers, they can be kept and cherished behind glass, but I have made them with being held in a hand in mind. In fact, I have witnessed many men and women hold the tumblers and men almost always hold them with one hand, whereas women always use both. It’s things like this that fascinate me- that it is completely split.
B: Do you feel a sense of disappointment when an object is used in a way that you did not intend it to?
A: No, because a huge part of my practice is considering the sculptural aspect of the pieces. It’s about their composition, balance, visual weight and their insides and outsides which are slightly more abstract ideas and allows for them to be engaged with in a more abstract way. There are pieces I make that rock, they have rocking bases. I made one of these pieces for a gentleman and his intention was to put pens in it, on his desk. Lots of people said, ‘No! How could you do that’ and I said, well that’s how he saw my piece, on his desk, rocking with pens in it. Every time he takes a pen out and puts it in, it rocks and it’s engaging. People bring their own ideas and their own responses to my work.
B: Following on from this, what sparked your desire to create vessels as part of your practice?
A: I wrote a dissertation on this, and I still haven’t quite got to the bottom of it. I like them, I love them, they intrigue me. I don’t know- there is probably something a bit Freudian about it. The interior/ exterior really resonates with me. I wish I could say “It’s because X, or Y”, but I can’t- it’s something I just gravitate to every time, even in little forms, like the jewellery pieces. They always have vessel forms. One day I’ll do something completely flat- but to be honest, it will still probably end up like a dome shape
I suppose vessels are the most ancient, universal of objects, we encounter them every day in mundane tasks yet they are ritualistic too.
B: What would you say is the most important aspect of quality craftsmanship?
A: I think skill is really important, no matter what medium you work in. I suppose an openness to keep learning is also important. Unless you are a virtuoso silversmith, like Clive Burr, who is amazing- although even he says he is always learning. Wayne Meeten or Ray Walton are both superb silversmiths and would say the same. Imposter syndrome is big for me, because I haven’t been doing it for very long. It’s all about having the humility to learn and keep learning and to keep challenging what you do. That’s how you learn- by challenging your work, instead of coasting. It takes work and time. I don’t know about the 10,000 hours thing- it’s a bit off putting. But it does take time to learn. There are plenty of makers who have a formula to how they work, but there are no shortcuts. There is no thoughtlessness- it’s precise, it flows. Work like that often comes from years of gaining fluency with tools, materials and processes. In the words of Browning, ‘A man’s reach should exceed his grasp- or what’s a heaven for?’ You always should be reaching in your work. There is often a sense of ‘oh is that it then’, when you complete a piece of work. You have to make friends with your work- a lot of us have a very loud inner critic.
B: Unfortunately, as with many other creative professions, silversmithing continues to be subject to misconceptions by those outside (and within!) the community. Most commonly, the profession of silversmithing can be perceived as a ‘closed’ community and very traditionalist. Could you speak to why this is certainly not the case?
A: I finished my degree in 2017 and prior to that, whilst I was a student, I found it to be very open as an industry. I could always ask for help and ask questions/ People were very generous and still are. It’s a very small community, so everyone knows each other, either through their work or their reputation. It’s certainly not closed in my experience. There are a lot of new makers coming into the industry, which really helps. There are also lots of women in the industry. If people from outside the industry, ask what I do- they might say ‘what’s the point in that’- but there is a market for it. There are lots of different silversmithing Communities outside the UK- in Europe, the Netherlands, Scandinavian countries- they all have their traditions of silverware and craftsmanship. The tradition in this country is so old, it can be perceived as witheringly conservative but generally there is an acceptance that you can be as ‘out-there’ as you like, as long as your craftsmanship comes from a place of trying to gain skill. I love it- I think it’s very flexible- it flexes and moves with the times.
B: Your pieces could be considered as the antiques of the future. What do you think about this and how do you think people will interpret your creations?
A: I think that’s such an incredible idea, I almost can’t wrap my head around it. It’s a very humbling idea- to think that these pieces would endure- it’s phenomenal- I hope they do and live as antiques of the future. And that’s why I make them as well as I can, I get them hallmarked. I hope that, aesthetically, they have something about them- I think the ‘cleanness’ of the designs will age well- you never know if something would date. I don’t think they will in the near future, because of their simplicity and they have a certain classicism. They aren’t laden with frills and they aren’t so contemporary that it would date them. I think they have a long life, hopefully. And of course, silver has inherent value. I would hope the pieces wouldn’t just be melted down to get the bullion value- but who knows, with the value of silver! I think they will endure. People collect things- and sometimes, people build an entire collection, they complete it and they sell it. It’s back to the autonomy of ownership. People collect for all sorts of reasons- there’s a psychology to collecting and owning antiques. It blows me away that you use the word ‘transcendent’ when describing my work because that’s what I aim for- so thank you. Some people find it cold, but that’s ok.
B: What defines you as a creator in your field?
A: I feel like I’m the wrong person to ask. It’s like that great question of ‘What’s your brand’- what do people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s so difficult. Minimal isn’t the right word. I’m very exacting, in terms of what remains when I make a piece. There will be lots of models and drawings, and then I strip things away, so that what remains is essential. There’s no fat on them and no bits that shouldn’t be there. I have a real vision for what I do- I don’t always know what it is until it arrives there. It’s very hard to put into words- but I’m trying to do something very specific. I try to use a crossbow and not a shotgun.
B: Do you have any predictions for how silversmithing will develop or change in the future?
A: It’s a very interesting question- if we can hold onto some of the really good courses out there, we stand a chance of surviving. The price of silver is very high at the moment- so giving students the chance to work with it is hard. You can play around with other metals, like bronze, copper etc, but nothing responds in the same way as silver. It behaves like nothing else and there is no substitute. Organisations like Contemporary British Silversmiths provide training and they work with a company that loans silver, so you can practice and keep the silver or send it back. In many ways, the future seems quite rosy. There’s been a resurgence in interest in contemporary silversmithing- with Adi Toch for example. Her work traverses traditional silversmithing and art objects- it’s amazing. Once people get the bug, they’re hooked-it’s what they do. It’s an obsessive environment, you want more tools, more projects- there’s a nerd-core element, so I think that bodes well.
B: Could you recommend to our readers some organisations, courses, or communities you think they should engage with, should they wish to pursue a career or interest in silversmithing?
A: Contemporary British Silversmiths are really good- they work with students, interested people, graduates, full members. The Goldsmiths Centre in Clerkenwell is great, they are the educational arm of the Goldsmiths Company. The Goldsmiths Company contain the London Assay Office and host the Goldsmiths Fair, which is a great event to visit, get insights and ask people how they started. There are some very good short and taster courses available as well as degree programmes. I love a bit of social media- it’s a great way to see what’s out there- it makes the community smaller.
B: What advice would you give to budding silversmiths on how to develop confidence in their own practice?
A: Be open to guidance, be resilient- that’s important. It’s a tough gig, silversmithing. It’s great fun and a lovely community to be in- ask for help. Reach out and ask and people can help you. If you have 50 silversmiths, they will do things in 50 different ways- but one way will work for you! Cara Murphy at CBS is great-she has run technical and educational Zooms since 2020 where all questions are welcome.
B: Within Inherited, we like to give the space for creators to speak about their peers and other work they admire. Could you name a couple of silversmiths you think our readers should take a look at?
A: I think in terms of peers, or someone who knocks the spots off everyone- I would say Jessica Jue. She has a light touch and creates amazing pieces. Anna Rennie is a great silversmith who I admire. She does a lot of hammering and raising pieces- very different to what I do. She has a ballsiness to what she does, which I love. With work I admire and those who influence me- Cara Murphy, Angela Cork, Rauni Higson are just a few. A real spectrum of different creators and approaches. Sometimes it’s the technique that inspires me- Ndidi Ekubia works completely differently to me. Her hammer is almost like a paintbrush- the way she works the metal blows me away. Her boldness and fearlessness is something I really admire.
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