Gerald Benney (1930-2008) was born in Hull, England and attended Brighton College of Art from 1946-1948. There, he was taught by Dunstan Pruden, a Roman Catholic silversmith whose style was inspired by the Arts and Crafts Movement. Benney's style was also influenced by the free-form shapes of Scandinavian silver. In 1953, Benney acquired a workshop of his own, where he developed his minimalist style of domestic silver, much of which is distinguished by his innovative "bark" finish.