An exhibition of new jewellery and silversmithing from Scotland, 100% Proof, is reviewed on behalf of craftscotland by Caroline Ednie.

100% Proof may well sound like the perfect accompaniment to the endless excesses normally associated with full-on ‘Festivalling’, but as exhibitions go it’s actually a welcome antidote.  The small bijou presentation of the “distillation” of new work in jewellery and silversmithing from Scotland is potent in all the right places, offering a full-bodied visual treat.  And despite the fact that this is the final leg of an extensive year long national and international tour, it shows few signs of flagging. 

Currently enjoying a Festival showing stint at the Scottish Gallery in Edinburgh, 100% Proof can either be seen as a sparkling stand-alone showcase, or for those familiar with the first 100% Proof touring exhibition of 2001, it can also be viewed as a worthy sequel or successor.  And in this respect the current exhibition does share a lot in common with the original show, particularly in that both were curated by Dorothy Hogg MBE of the Edinburgh College of Art, and also in terms of the role call of participants, which include such established makers as Roger Millar; John Creed; Michael Lloyd and Hogg herself.  Yet this time there are thirty three exhibitors rather than the original eighteen, and what also seems to have developed over the past five years is the emergence of a bravura ‘new breed’ whose contributions really embolden the current show.

What is particularly exciting about this new generation is a certain bravery in their approach to contemporary concerns and materials.  For example Bute born Glasgow School of Art graduate Linda Robertson has taken the lowly and taken-for-granted forms of the streetscape – such as drain covers and road markings - and redefined these onto the ‘tablescape’ (so to speak) by means of a series of functional silverware items such as the silver and gold plated nibble bowls on show.  Sarah Hutchison’s Ocean Wave Bowl may be more elemental than urban in terms of inspiration but it nevertheless shows a rugged and robust handling not normally associated with the silversmithing, and is all the more fascinating for it. 

Elsewhere, Amy Chan boldly, even brazenly, combines silver with polypropylene to joyous effect in her Pod series and Marianne Anderson really ups the ante with her jewellery collection which exquisitely combines elements such as freshwater pearls, gold, glass and oxidised silver to create ’fragmentary’ yet unexpectedly harmonious - and undoubtedly - enduring pieces.

100% Proof strikes a nicely weighted balance which finds Adam Paxon’s quirkier ‘Orgasmaploding’ acrylic, epoxy and lacquer pieces sitting comfortably beside Andrew’s Lamb’s delicate illusory studies in white and yellow gold which seem to owe more than a passing nod to Op Art painting at its best.  Grainne Morton’s nostalgia driven mixed media brooches – which have something of a ‘ye olde curiosity shop’ aura – also combine playfully with Kaz Robertson’s unashamedly ‘now’ spots and dots ensemble pieces. 

It’s a charming exhibition, though not in any quaint or airy fairy sense.  Indeed, its vitality may be summed up in the stand-out work of young maker David Goodwin, whose Helix rings and Zepp brooch may conjure the finer charms of Victorian filigree work, but which on closer inspection reveal an evolution shaped by virtual 3D modelling, rapid prototyping and high pressure vacuum casting.  In other words it’s a heady mix of traditional craft and modern manufacturing methods that seems to justify the maximum potency claims of the exhibition’s title alone.

100% Proof is on at the Scottish Gallery, 16 Dundas Street, Edinburgh EH3 6HZ from 4 August until 6 September 2006.  Opening hours Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm Saturday 10am to 4pm.  Admission free.