7/28/2019 Kevin J ODwyer - An Argent Lover

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Kevin J ODwyer is a man worthhis metal: while other metalsmithspainstakingly sweat over their silver,this virtuoso nonchalantly plays with

modern architecture and traditional Japanesepatterns (picked rom ceremonial kimonosduring Japans Edo period) to orm seeminglyeortless sculptures o the lustrous metal.Besides Bauhaus and Memphis designs, theNeolithic stone carvings o Irish burial tombs

with their owing orms have inspiredmy work, says the Irish artist, who has wonover 40 international awards or his work overthe better part o three decades. I have otenstripped down the carving to a single orm asper some o my vessel and teapot handlesI work with strong architectural orms as thecontainer, and create owing orms as handlesthat incorporate both positive and negativespaces into the object.

From tiny teapots that elegantly perch onrippling waves o silver (not unlike a surer), toexquisite Victorian-inspired perume bottles thatcombine silver and hand-blown glass, ODwyer

has ashioned irresistible works o art created toengage people with their controversial, albeitunctional anatomies, and have been displayedin over 40 exhibitions worldwide as well asprominent museums such as the Victoria andAlbert Museum, London, and Ulster Museumin Belast. ea and coee pots have been parto the silversmithing tradition throughout theages, he says. Tey were important social toolsor meeting amily, riends, adversaries, and so

on I have designed my silverware to be morethan vessels to hold liquids, to engage the serverand participant aesthetically. Serving rom abeautiul object may take the conversation in adierent direction. His most recent work was aset o candelabras or a Swiss chateau that weremanipulated to resemble intertwined ribbon-like shapes that wove through one another:Each set spanned over three eet and oatedon a Kilkenny limestone base. Te engineeringand silversmithing involved in these piecesensured that the six candles arising rom eachcandelabrum looked like they were sitting ontop o a ribbon-like orm, he says.

His sot, swirling ribbons, and curlingspirals propped on plump pots especiallyrom the Rocking eapot and Party series entice and charm with the perspicacityo a puppys melting brown eyes. In starkcontrast, ODwyers Architectural collectionis quite geometric, with its sharp angles andprominent modernist architectural inuences.ODwyer has used his designs with ebonywood and rosewood or handles and trays, as

well as Kilkenny limestone, the latter being thetrickiest material or him to work with. His2010 collection also eatures carved handlesconstructed rom a 4000-year-old bog yewmined rom the peat felds that surround (his)studio, and this combination o modernistdesign with ancient wood has a strong appealor the artist.

ODwyers ascination with peat bogs atershiting base to Ireland led him to establishSculpture in the Parklands where he servedas director rom 2000 to 2010, which wonour national awards or its sculpture andeducational programme, and still houses his

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ODwyers patterned Rocking Teapot in sterling silver is beautiully balanced on a curlicue wave that is a delicate amplifcation o its handle.

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7/28/2019 Kevin J ODwyer - An Argent Lover

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Tippler Bridge, a creation that represents theindustrial history o the place. O course, thisis not the only time ODwyer has done Irelandproud: he has also been commissioned to createseveral reputable projects, rom an inaugurationgit or Nelson Mandela to State gits orroyalty, such as the kings o Sweden and Spain,

and even a presentation piece or Bill Clinton.O the several afcionados o his work, MichelleBuano, the director o Pratts Fine ArtsCenter, U.S., has described ODwyers work asdramatic and elegant in its orm, also addingthat a signature ODwyer piece whirls in arozen dervish dance that embraces the air.

ime might stand still through thebeholders eyes, but or ODwyer, it is a preciousmedium that he consumes ample quantities o.His celebrated tea and coee services that canrange anywhere rom $20,000 to $50,000 onan average can take at least 150 man hoursto complete, while he claims to have spent

over 250 man hours perecting certain setsthat, according to him, bring about a estiveand engaging atmosphere to the table. Tesilversmith does not traverse the world in searcho quality silver, preerring to select sterlingsilver (92.5 per cent) rom the closest sources.He has instead, made several transatlanticjumps to lecture at prestigious academicinstitutions, the most recent being Mesa ArtCenter in Phoenix, and University o Georgiaat Athens in the United States. He will also beteaching at Lillstreet Arts Center in Chicago,and the University o Wisconsin this autumn.

ODwyer employs various orging

techniques, one o them being anticlastic raising a method also used by Faberg in tsaristRussia, where the metal curves in oppositedirections which, in addition to reticulationwas honed during a stint in Savannah, Georgiaunder the guidance o Heikki Seppa, a Finnishmetalsmith. Tis technique is most apparentin ODwyers Landscape Series o texturedboxes that are inspired rom topographical cuts.Flowing orms have a spontaneity, and oureye ollows the ormits why an architecturalshape like his salt-and-pepper shakersinspired by cityscapes that is straight orangular, is much harder to create than a curved

one, says ODwyer who has also apprenticedunder maestros such as Bill Frederick whotold (him) that hal the payment or the workwe do is the pleasure on the clients expressionwhen they receive the fnished piece, somethingI completely believe in - and HarriettDreissiger at the start o his career.

Surprisingly enough, ODwyer began hiscareer in Chicago by pursuing his love orhistory and archaeology. Where I lived Cashel, Co. ipperary has some o the mostimportant 8th-13th-century buildings, includingthe Rock o Cashel and many monastic sites,explains the silversmith. I was drawn to thearchitecture, stone carvings, and history othe area. And with buildings, come arteactsincluding bronze, silver, and gold objects. Itwas my curiosity concerning the making othe objects that started my exploration ometalworking with night-school classes inChicago. It became an obsession. Finally, I

packed in the day job and apprenticed withgoldsmiths and silversmiths.

From working with legendary Americanglass artist Andy Shea, known or his delicateperume bottles, to ashioning an electric pairo 24-karat gold heels titled Goldsculpt withshoe designer Andreia Chaves, that wereshowcased in 2011 at the Milan and Parisashion weeks, ODwyer has transcended theancient art o metalsmithing across uturisticboundaries. I you told me I would be makingshoes or the ashion runways two years ago, Iwould have said you were crazy! says ODwyer.He has also been designing jewellery or over

25 years. Te proud ather o two daughters alsoclaims that he might be collaborating with hisdaughter Sinead in the uture, who is at presentinterning with Alexander Wang, as he is alwaysopen to collaborations with other artists andthe materials they use. His current projectsinclude making ches knives using Damascussteel, and cabinets that eature bronze parts.

He remains unsatiated: My mentor BillFrederick passed away last May at the age o90, but was silversmithing until he was 89! SoI look orward to a long and creative lie insilversmithing, sculpture, photography, and anycreative opportunities that come my way.

Above: ODwyers coffee services from his Architectural series sport handles made of bog oak that is 4,000 years old;

Below: 24-karat gold shoes titled Goldsculpt made with shoe designer Andreia Chaves, and showcased at the Paris and Milan fashion weeks, 2011.