Fish Slice
2004 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This article is representative of a newer and freer philosophic expression that has been slowly pervading British metal work. By use of simple technique of slicing (sawing) the metal, the artist fulfils her concept of the three-dimensional sculptural aestheticism that can be drawn out of the plane metal - while at the same time reverting to modernist deemphasis of decorative elements. By contrast, the work of Angus McFayden illustrates the decorative aesthetic that highly developed piercing skill can achieve in the 2-D conformation.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Silver |
| Brief description | Silver, London hallmarks for 2004, mark of Ane Christensen |
| Physical description | The server is named by its maker as “The One Meter Fish Slice”. It is made form a single strip of 16-gauge metal that tapers from 4cm in width at the blade end down to 2.5cm at the terminal. The “blade” is approximately 12cm in length. It then passes through a series of loops and turns having an orientation transverse to the blade. They provide a 3-point rest for the server and which allow it to rock forward and back. The sturdy loops also provide a “squeezable” hand-hold for grasping the server. The blade is poised at an angle to the horizontal (the table top). The server is a piece of sculptural art and only formally functional. |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | This collection of silver slices, all commissioned over a period of twenty years by Professor Benton Seymour Rabinovitch FRS, is proof of the skill and diversity of contemporary silversmiths. Each artist craftsman has responded to the familiar functional form of the slice in an individual way, producing an astonishingly diverse range of interpretations. Each piece becomes an enchanting, decorative work of art. Professor Rabinovitch established a close rapport with each artist, always encouraging a freedom of creative expression. The response of these silversmiths has been not only to be strikingly imaginative but also to honour him by giving him their best work.
This collection is testimony to the significant contribution that one individual can make to supporting the craft of silversmithing. After commissioning work from some of the most illustrious names in British and North American silversmithing, Professor Rabinovitch has very generously donated his entire collection to the Victoria and Albert Museum, through the American Friends of the V&A.(2005) |
| Credit line | Given by the American Friends of the V&A through the generosity of Professor B. Seymour Rabinovitch |
| Object history | Fish & Cake slice exhibition RF.2004/419 |
| Summary | This article is representative of a newer and freer philosophic expression that has been slowly pervading British metal work. By use of simple technique of slicing (sawing) the metal, the artist fulfils her concept of the three-dimensional sculptural aestheticism that can be drawn out of the plane metal - while at the same time reverting to modernist deemphasis of decorative elements. By contrast, the work of Angus McFayden illustrates the decorative aesthetic that highly developed piercing skill can achieve in the 2-D conformation. |
| Bibliographic reference | Benton Seymour Rabinovitch, Contemporary Silver, Part II Recent Commissions, Seattle, RAB Associates, 2005, pp.16-17. ill. |
| Other number | LOAN:AMERICANFRIENDS.68-2005 - previous loan number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.41-2008 |
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| Record created | May 9, 2008 |
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