Silverware is a series of porcelain vases created using silver gelatin photograms of seaweed. Each work is unique. In contrast to the prolonged exposures required for cyanotype, the silver gelatin process is remarkably swift: each vase is exposed for only a matter of seconds.

Seaweed foraged along the coasts of the United Kingdom is placed onto the surface of sensitised porcelain forms, which rotate on a turntable before a concentrated beam of light. Depending on the season, the seaweed may appear almost translucent or dense and opaque. These variations in translucency produce photograms of great tonal subtlety, where delicate gradations emerge across the curved surface of the vessel.

The scale of the Silverware vases is striking. Measuring over 50 cm in height and width, they present considerable technical challenges. To achieve an even coating, each piece must be fully immersed in silver gelatin solution; Glithero therefore construct bespoke baths tailored to the dimensions of each form.

By adjusting exposure and processing parameters, the duo achieves markedly different effects on the porcelain surface. Some works are characterised by a deep, velvety black ground, while others retain visible traces of the light strip used during exposure — a circular band reminiscent of an analogue clock face. This subtle reference to measured time contrasts with the organic forms of the seaweed and the quiet timelessness suggested by the images themselves. The resulting matte surfaces possess a tactile, almost velvety quality that heightens the material presence of each vessel.
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