This tabletop sculpture is the first in a new series inspired by ‘slice patterns,’ such as cross-sections of red cabbage or wood grain patterns. Each sculpture in this series will feature ‘pass-through’ joinery, a traditional blacksmithing technique. For example, this sculpture focuses attention on the textured flat bar which has been pierced and threaded onto a central element in 6 places. Perhaps one can better appreciate the beauty of traditional joinery when explained by John McLellan of McLellan Blacksmithing in an instructional manual:
“Traditional joinery techniques were developed at the dawn of the metal working age. Many methods are directly related to those used in wood construction. They were used to facilitate assembly of projects prior to the invention of the arc welder and are still a viable, though labor intensive, way of building projects. The use of these methods gives pieces a charm and appearance derived inherently from the characteristics of the joints. In fact many castings that are fashioned after forged work retain these characteristics because of their appeal.” I donated ‘Slice Pattern’ to a live auction for Balcones Forge, a Central Texas blacksmithing club and local affiliate of ABANA, a national blacksmithing organization. Proceeds from the auction assist Balcones Forge in recruiting nationally recognized blacksmith-artists for local demonstrations. This sculpture's main element started off life as 1” x 1/2” bar, and the base is c-channel. The overall piece measures 20” tall x 12” wide x 6” deep. Comments are closed.
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