In his desire to produce silverware of lasting distinction and functionality, Walter Storr relies on the inspirations of the material itself to elevate his concepts to a level beyond pure craftsmanship.

Traditionally lauded as the material from which skilled hands would fashion items of unrivalled beauty and elegance which would be passed down through many a generation, silver has always excited the imagination of artists and craftsmen alike. Countless are the families in which some treasured piece of silver has come to define, in its own unique way, the very heritage from which the generations have sprung. Great great grandmother's sterling-silver tea set lovingly preserved since her wedding day late last century, or that silver table setting brought out and polished only on the most auspicious occasions. Precious links with the past; such items are revered and admired both for what they represent as much for their own sakes. "Only a well-laid table the shape of a coffee and tea pot always creates the atmosphere - the ambience," explains Walter Storr, designer with renowned German Silversmiths, Wilkens. "Even though the other items are of considerable importance the coffee and tea set are the absolute centre. This could be considered the reason why I enjoy creating coffee and tea pots so much.

Since 1810 the name Wilkens has come to represent some of the finest examples of the silversmiths art, an art exemplified by a tradition founded on the extraordinary vision of one man; Martin Heinrich Wilkens. Born in 1782, Wilkens was thirty-two before he realised his ambition to establish a silversmith tradition in West Germany to rival the best in the world. Infatuated by the very nature of the metal; soft, malleable, and infinitely adaptable to the artist's conceptualisation's,. Wilkens found in silver a ready release for his prolific creativity.

Having adopted a crown and crescent as the hallmarks for the products of this creativity, Wilkens quietly set about realising his conceptual ideas in silver, and by 1840 was rewarded for his efforts by being recognised as a Master Silversmith. By the time Martin Heinrich moved to Hemelingin almost twenty years later, the crown and crescent had become synonymous with silverware of distinction throughout Europe.

Concerned that the final product be as faithful to his artistic visions as possible, Wilkens was the consummate perfectionist working to strict self-imposed disciplines of style and form. Enthused by the potential inherent in silver to outlive its practical use, Wilkens strived to achieve a balance between functionality and appearance, aware as he was that given the right blend of both, his creations would become heirlooms and works of art in their own right.

It is this same philosophy that guides the Wilkens enterprise into the twenty-first century. As West Germany's oldest silversmiths the company pride rests squarely on the shoulders of its creative people; artists for whom every piece to carry the Wilkens hallmark also carries with it the soul of their creative enterprise.

"Attitude is everything when working with silver," says Walter Storr. "What I strive for is timeless elegance paired with an unwavering emphasis upon the functional. In my opinion, silver is the most sensitive and most precious material for an artist to work with. Yet its real beauty comes with its use, when over time it acquires a soft shining surface. No material ever has such a tender surface as silver."

Brought up in a family whose ancestral dedication to working their particular genius in silver dates back to the early 1600's, Walter Storr's attitude toward the medium of silver is not surprising. It was his father afterall who first introduced Walter to the material, when as a young boy Walter would sit enthralled watching him fashion all manner of strikingly beautiful artifacts from a seemingly innocuous lump of metal.

"It was only logical that after such exposure to my father, and the heritage that he represented that I should have chosen such a career as I have," Walter explains. "After finishing school I went to study at the Hochschule fur Kunst in Switzerland under Professor Karl Dittert, before luck saw me employed with Wilkens at a time when I was working as assistant to Professor Dr. Braun-Feldweg at the Hochschule der Bildenden Kunste in Berlin."

Aware of the impact Wilkens have had on the development of silversmithing as an artform, Walter Storr's ability to transplant idea to form remains one of his most significant contributions to the ongoing success of the company. In the tradition of Martin Heinrich Wilkens himself, Storr speculates on the suitability of his concept to the medium even before he attempts an initial sketch of the proposed design. His philosophy is simple and self-evident in the harmony between medium and form of the final product; if the concept does not suit the medium, discard the concept and go in search of something more appropriate. According to Storr there are no compromises made to accommodate ego.

"My inspiration comes from the medium itself," Storr explains. "Silver needs to be worked with according to its distinctive features. This alone determines to my mind the ultimate shape for the creation. The interpretation of the medium is everything. Contrary to what some might believe, the nationality and so on of the craftsman or artist have nothing to do with it. Of course there will be differences mentality wise between say Italian, Germany and Danish designers, but I don't see that these would be major as far as silver is concerned.

"Every designer hopes that his work is appreciated by the public, by experts and other designers," he continues. "Such recognition however should never be the initial motivation behind an idea. For me personally, clear and and plain shapes are important. My creations should be classical yet timeless. This means that they should not attempt to be the interpretations of any given period."

With this in mind, Walter Storr is maintaining a link with a glorious past; a past which has seen the name Wilkens spoken in the same breath as such luminaries as George Jensen and Christofle. Intrinsically more esteemed than any other metal save perhaps gold, silver, has cultivated an image all its own, reflecting both the good taste of the purchase and the ability of the designer to transcend mere fashion. to this end Storr's concern that his designs be timeless is no small challenge.

"Because of its distinctive features, silver determines from the very beginning the shape and the aesthetics of any design," Walter says. "In my own case my designs can only be used for sterling silver. Most certainly if I were to use any other material my particular designs would be realised in an entirely different manner. I start with the idea, and the basic line' plain, decorated or soft. Then rough sketches are done, after which a hand-made sample is made. It is here that I can best determine if my initial concept will work, if the shadows on the piece, for instance reflect my ideas.

"If the basic outcome of the handsample is according to my ideas I then start work on all the little details," Walter continues. "I continue this until the product reaches a perfect appearance in my own estimations. If the sample fails to meet my concept I simply start again. In the end I do not set out to make spectacular designs, but concentrate instead on simplicity."

Simplicity for Storr however does not mean frugality of form, rather an attempt to marry the spirit of the idea with the potentialities of the material. In this respect his designs display a purity of purpose, most evident in the overt lack of undue angles and an abudence of clean lines and neat soft sculptured edges. In Storr's own words: "Being a soft and elastic metal, silver requires tender, plain and even calm shapes. Sharp edges to not harmonise with silver."

When Martin Heinrich Wilkens realised his ambition to give to the world something of himself by way of his creations in silver, little may he have realised the lasting significance of his enterprise. Five generations on and there is still evident in every piece Wilkens produce, whether it be Holloware or Flatware, Sterling or Stainless Steel, a determination to carry on the founder's initial aspiration; to enhance the fine art of good living by providing silverware of distinctive quality and taste.