David Taylor Takes You on a Tour of His Aluminum Explorations

The scale of David Taylor’s current work makes his past life as a silversmith seem almost unbelievable.

The Scottish designer, who has been based in Sweden since the 1990s, transitioned to working in aluminum after the financial crash in 2008, which sent the price of silver soaring.

Luckily for Taylor, many of the techniques he learned through his original craft could be applied to his new medium. But because of the much lower price, he could explore an entirely new scale.

In the years since, the designer has become known for his sleek metalworking, resulting in industrial yet polished pieces. At the opening of his “Special Effects” exhibition at Bukowskis Auction House in Stockholm, he described the job of a craftsperson as being one of trial and error.

As per the exhibition title, these peaks and troughs allow him to develop a series of signature techniques – or “special effects”. You see it in the so-called “knuckle” bend of his table and floor lamps, in the patterning of the doors on his cabinet, and in the welding of the arms on his candelabras.

Behind each of the 25 pieces on show at the gallery space, there is a physically impressive backstory of how it came to be.

“The foundation of Taylor’s artistry lies in craftsmanship and a deep knowledge of materials and their properties,” Bukowskis said. “With a background as an experienced silversmith, long experimenting with metals, Taylor has learned to tame aluminum like few others. Through a simple material palette, Taylor has developed a vital design language where he can move freely between projects.”

“The objects explore David Taylors multidisciplinary approach, design language, and material palette, with craft and ornamentation in focus.”

Special Effects was on show at Stockholm Design Week, which took place across the city from February 2 to 8, and each of the pieces on show is now for sale through the auction house.