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A Sparkling Party
Selected wo r ks i n S i l v e r
e b l a n a g allery
Kevin O’Dwyer | A Sparkling Party
Selecte d w ork s in Silver
elEanor flegg | A Sparkling Party
kevin O’Dwyer’s artwork in silver is light of touch and contrast between surfaces, but is also cognisant of the pragmatic
light of heart; the stuff of which museum collections are made. value of patterning, which does not show fingerprints! O’Dwyer
Angular forms combine with flowing forms, playing off against collaborated with a company, which normally etches computer
each other. A little triangular Sauceboat curls its handle in the air boards for industry, to create patterned sheets of silver using
like the tail of a cartoon mouse, while a Vessel in silver and gold acid resist technique. ‘It was about taking something that was no
applies the same airy curl to a more dignified sculptural form. longer used and reinventing it in a contemporary manner, taking
O’Dwyer has an affinity with the sculptural interpretation of a traditional technique and bringing it forward.’ Once patterned,
mundane household items, but especially with teapots. His Party the sheets of silver can then be formed and fabricated, albeit with
Teapot abandons itself to a wild coiffeur of silver, like the wedding care so that the process of soldering does not mark the surface.
headdress of an old lady with more money than sense, while a self The visual impulsiveness of some of the pieces, resplendent
contained Rocking Teapot balances quietly on a curved base, made with curlicues of silver, belies the exactitude with which they are
from a continuation of its handle. made. Nowhere is this more obvious than in O’Dwyer’s Landscape
O’Dwyer’s pieces carry their often extraordinary forms with Series of reticulated silver boxes, the architectural forms of which
the same assurance with which a snail carries its shell. A crazy require a rigorous symmetry that is difficult to achieve in hot
arrangement if you think about it, but part of a lovely and integral metal. ‘It is difficult,’ he admits, ‘to keep the silver from warping, to
visual balance. O’Dwyer can do sober too, with an austere and maintain the crispness of line. Bulbous shapes are easier; flowing
architectural Coffee Service without a curve in sight. His textured forms are more forgiving than straight lines.’
and patterned surfaces, which do interesting things with reflected The lids of the boxes are reticulated. This is a surface finish that
light, are the antithesis of the usual high polish of silver. Pattern gives them the appearance of miniature geographic landscapes
has been a significant element of his work over time, initially formed in silver, like aerial photographs viewed through a
in response to the patterned tin roofs of Georgia, where he was stereoscope. This effect is created through a process that requires
working as an artist in residence in the early 1980s, and the way a fine balance of heat and control. The sterling silver is depleted
in which they contributed to the interplay of light within the of its copper content by a process of alternating heat and acid
landscape. He researched the traditional patterning of silver, treatments, leaving a thin surface layer of fine silver. This, having
which harks back to the great rolling mills of nineteenth-century a higher melting point than the sterling silver underneath, is
silver manufacturing workshops of Birmingham where a pattern heated until it forms a delicate skin over the molten substrate. Like
was engraved on steel and then printed repeatedly on vast sheets cooling lava, the surface buckles and crumples under the tension,
of silver. The bases of embellished trays were rolled out of the press further manipulated by the silversmith who uses a sharp flame to
in sheets, in the manner of the printed textiles of the same era. paint with the silver, working just below the flashpoint.
It was, he explains, a matter of discovering how patterning Reticulation first evolved in the Fabergé studios of Tsarist
could be used for unique contemporary pieces. Eventually he Russia. Many of the Fabergé craftsmen were Finns who, when
achieved the result that he required, using a photo etching tech- the studios closed during the Bolshevik revolution, brought the
nique, which has been applied to the Architectural Coffee Service technique back to Scandinavia. With emigration the technique
with its elongated bog yew handles and the Cityscape series of spread to America. O’Dwyer, who studied silversmithing in
salt and pepper shakers. His repetitive patterns are inspired Chicago in the late 1970s, was introduced to reticulation by the
by nature and the traditional patterns of Japan’s Edo period (1603- Finnish metalsmith Heikki Seppa, who had trained with one of
1868), which were used on textiles for ceremonial kimonos. the Fabergé artists and used the process in his own work.
The combination of pattern and high polish create a dramatic Glass and silver are bedfellows of long standing, but their
Coffee service
Formed, fabricated, patterned and engraved sterling silver. Bog
Yew handles (carbon dated 4000 years old), glass/silver tray
Party Teapot, the Mardi Gras series
Raised, forged, fabricated sterling silver, scratch brush finish,
Kilkenny limestone base
Vessel, architectural series
Formed, fabricated sterling silver, scratch brush finish, Bog Yew handle.
Scent Bottles
Hand forged and fabricated sterling silver, Hand blown glass (Andy Shea)
O’Dwyer’s silverware, teapots and candlesticks are truly dramatic in design.
Each beautiful handcrafted piece defies convention. Indeed, their ambiguity
blurs the boundaries between function, fashion and pure sculpture.
ramez ghazoul | Director, Artizana Gallery, UK
Candlestick Centrepiece
Hand forged and fabricated sterling silver
Teapot Scent Bottle
Hand forged and fabricated sterling silver, hand blown glass (Andy Shea)
Vessel, architectural series
Formed, fabricated and patterned sterling silver
Kilkenny limestone handle
Landscape Boxes
Hand formed and fabricated sterling silver, reticulated sterling silver tops, scratch brush finish
O’Dwyer’s extravagant teapots have the same confident presence as those
Rocco examples of the eighteenth century that made teatime such a social
and cultural focal point.
helen clifford, curator | 20th Century Silver, British Crafts Council, UK
Rocking Teapot
Hand forged, formed and fabricated sterling silver
Kilkenny limestone base, turned steel pendulum
Coffee pot and creamer
Formed, fabricated, patterned and engraved sterling silver.
Bog Yew handles (carbon dated 4000 years old)
Left: Sauce boat
Hand forged and fabricated sterling silver
All designs are the copyright of Kevin J. O’Dwyer. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form by any electronic means, including photocopying, recording,
or information storage and retrieval without the permission of the artist.
Eblana Gallery is a contemporary applied arts gallery located in Dublin’s city centre.
The gallery concentrates on exhibiting the work of artists and jewellers who create
in ceramics, wood, textiles, glass, bronze, silver and gold. Eblana opened in July
2006 with the aim of showcasing new work created by Ireland’s leading contem-
porary applied artists, through regular group and solo exhibitions. We have also
introduced applied artists from Europe and further a-field to the Irish market.
We arrange commissions of work with all of the artists we represent and source
contemporary artwork for those collectors looking for a unique piece.
D A K @ M @
GALLERY