AFA 18th Anniversary

18th Anniversary 162 www.afamag.com | w ww.incollect.com T he role of silver — once central to daily life, a prominent feature of celebrations, and the traditional gift for major life events such as births, weddings, and funerals — has changed dramatically from the colonial era through to the present. With the invention of new materials, changes in the traditions and pace of family life, and the rise of new and varied means of projecting wealth and status, silver has ceded its central role as a treasured possession in American life. Yet it remains a versatile medium, signif icant for its historical importance, its aesthetic appeal, and the unique opportunities it presents for modern artistic creations. When the Museum of the City of New York invited contemporary artists, silversmiths, architects, and designers from the New York area to create new works in response to its historical pieces, the results were both wide-ranging and profound. Some interpretations offer a witty twist on an object’s original function, granting it a modern application, while others offer social commentary with critiques on women’s traditional relegation to the domestic sphere and the slave labor once used to mine the silver. From the colonial era through the early decades of the nineteenth century, most craftsmen worked with silver from South American mines that depended on African slave labor and the forced work of native people. Silversmiths fashioned new objects from broken or unfashionable pieces, as well as from Spanish coins belonging to their patrons that they melted down. After 1859, with the discovery of the Comstock Lode in Nevada, most of the silver used in this country was mined in the American West. Artists today use silver that has been sourced from multiple locales and rolled into sheets by industrial refiners. While to contemporary audiences silver objects might bring to mind ideas of conspicuous consumption, they have historically also served a practical role, offering a measure of financial stability to their owners. Prior to the establishment of commercial banking after the Revolution, each state had its own currency with values that f luctuated erratically. As a result, colonial silversmiths became highly trusted members of society who acted as bankers of a sort, enabling clients to consolidate their wealth into a relatively secure form that was also beautiful and functional. Thereafter, ownership has been a signifier of success more than a liquid asset. The basic technique of fashioning silver objects with a combination of heat and pressure remains the standard for contemporary fabrication. However, today’s artists have a bevy of new tools available to them, including computer modeling and 3D computer printed forms. The silversmiths involved in the exhibition generally designed and crafted their own pieces, while artists and designers from other disciplines engaged specialists to help them realize their ideas. Works both new and old integrate a variety of techniques for creation and decoration, from forging to electroplating to casting and repoussé. A Dialogue in New York Silver Then and Now by Sara Spink and Jeannine Falino text continues on page 167