Excerpt from Multiple Perspectives:

Forged metal claims its place in contemporary culture.

Written by Delyth Done.

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In recent years, the practice of artist blacksmiths has transformed.   Contemporary artist blacksmiths are creating original and cohesive bodies of work, works which engage not only with the practices and forms of traditional blacksmithing, with its focus on material, process and function; but also with many broader cultural, environmental and socio-political conversations.  These works bring a fresh perspective to the discipline and demand new critical consideration, giving focus to an international community of artist blacksmithing driven by ideas and concept as much as by process and material. 

The title ‘Forge’ embodies something of the tension and complexity we see both in the contemporary profession of artist blacksmithing and in the works.  Forge points to an exhibition characterised by a process and a material; the forging of hot metal is at the heart of all this work.  Forge as a noun also evokes centuries old ideas and practices of blacksmith, hearth and anvil, which have a place in literature and myth as well as social and economic narratives past and present. When it is used as a verb, forge is often used in the context of driven change and innovation:  ‘to forge ahead’ or forge something new, the objects here all represent the work of artists concerned with originality and the context of the contemporary world in which they live.

The aim of this exhibition is not to undervalue the skills and traditions that underpin contemporary artist blacksmithing but to capture this new contemporary and forward-facing perspective. Together the selected makers and their work present us with a series of conversations that speak to both tradition and the contemporary crafts landscape; each forged metal object is unique, reflecting the individual practice of each maker. However, all share an emphasis on material, process and concept that represents the power, quality and contemporary relevance of artists who work at the forge.

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