| art welding is basically a form of sculpting in reverse. | | | | you name it, they were all welded to together and the |
| Whereas sculpting starts from a block of stone and | | | | results were often surprising in their artistic expression |
| the process entails the removal of all material not part | | | | and originality. Embellishments were done in the form |
| of what is to be the finished piece, metal art welding | | | | of special coatings and paint applied to some or all of |
| starts with nothing and keeps on adding pieces until the | | | | the metal sculptures. |
| work of art in completed. Two processes, converse to | | | | The next stage was to addition of moving parts |
| each other, but resulting in the same end. | | | | – motorized sculptures. Windmill effects, rotating |
| Unlike sculptors who work in stones like granites or | | | | tables and wind driven mobiles were some of the |
| marble, the metal welding artist can use just about any | | | | early common design themes used. Much of early |
| metal, or combinations of metals he chooses to. He | | | | welded metal art was created for shock effect and it |
| may form his creations out of virgin metal sheets, rods | | | | succeeded. |
| or pipes; or he may assemble existing pieces of | | | | Today metal art welding is returning to its basics, and, |
| shaped metal in to final product. | | | | in the opinion of many art critics, its purest form. Simple |
| Welding is, in its most simple form, the joining together | | | | and expressive forms, created by welding together |
| of two pieces of metal by heating the surfaces and | | | | seemingly uncomplimentary pieces of metal can |
| then placing them together until the cooled metal forms | | | | create a memorable effect, as in the welding of a |
| a joint. There are different types of welding methods | | | | rusty old car axle to a pair of roller skate frames to |
| that can be used, depending on the types of metal | | | | express the artist’s opinion of the negatives of |
| involved and the nature of the joint – whether it | | | | fossil fueled vehicles. |
| requires strength, a fine finish, whether the metal can | | | | While metal art welding can be tiny, as in small jewelry |
| withstand high heat etc. | | | | items, it are normally large in size. The largeness of the |
| Metal art welding can be done on any scale, from the | | | | welded form adds to its impact. That is why the |
| finest pieces of jewelry that are finely welded or | | | | majority of art made by the metal welding process is |
| soldered together to huge outdoor sculptures. | | | | in the form of outdoor sculpture. |
| The beginnings of modern metal art welding lie in the | | | | Since most welded art is made up from existing |
| emergence of “junk” sculpture when | | | | pieces of metal, this is one art form where the mind of |
| young artists understood that the joining of various | | | | the artist must be able to not just envision the finished |
| pieces of existing scrap metal could produce works of | | | | work of art, but be able to look at using existing |
| artistic integrity and merit. The first works of modern | | | | shapes to create his vision. Like a jigsaw puzzle, the |
| welded metal art were made from things found in | | | | artist must be able to locate the shapes he needs to |
| junkyards – hence the name. Old car parts, | | | | create the final effect. |
| refrigerator bodies, oddly shaped bits of scrap metal, | | | | |