You can put art on the walls or you can put it on the table as recent exhibits like Eat Drink Art Design Show at MAD Museum In New York prove.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to commission a piece to grace your table and she has time to accomodate your request, I suggests you check the singular pieces of Bryony Knox, a silversmith based in Ediburgh.
Her work caught my attention a few weeks back with the Cockatrice Cocktail Shaker 'commissioned by Asprey as a flamboyant piece which looks like a heraldic sculpture but which also works as a fully functional cocktail shaker.'
Many of her creations combine form and function.
A good example is the Dragon Toast Rack (above) which was commissioned by a Philadelphia woman who saw Bryony's work at Goldsmiths' Fair when visiting London
The ‘Orlando & Vigo’ Oil and Vinegar Set with articulated pouring heads (below) made of Chased silver with black hand blown glass (18 x 12 x 8 cm. £1,850) will add a new dimension to any salad or vegetable plate.
Here's how Bryony describes her creative process and sources of inspiration:
"My work is based on a love of storytelling, movement and colour. The wonderfully humorous yet slightly macabre world of playing cards, circus and Punch & Judy have provided recent inspiration. The mythical beasts found in Greek legends and Heraldry also intrigue me. I enjoy making visually intricate, articulated metal objects, which I want the observer to touch and play with, discovering unexpected movement, functions or metalwork details as they handle them. I work in silver or copper, brass and steel, utilising their different colour combinations and patination to enhance the richness of the object. Repousse, chasing, fretwork, etching and simple mechanics are the main techniques I employ in my work."
Not all her pieces are food or beverage related.
There are also sculptures like the dramatic 'Griffin' (below) an articulated sculpture with moving legs, wings and beak made of Chased silver with repousse (18 x 10 x 14 cm. £3,250).
Wine lovers and collectors would surely be thrilled by one of her decanters with mythical bird head stoppers.
Eating and drinking artfully, a good way to start the year.
(* Prices in British ponds,images copyright Bryony Knox, Photography by Jeremy Johns )