Metal that Moves - Works by Contemporary Tasmanian Artist Blacksmiths 2013

Presented by the Tasmanian Artist Blacksmith Association Incorporated.

There’s not much call for horse shoes any more or agricultural implements. The rail yards have become museums and tool factories have all mechanised. Blacksmiths have evolved with the times. The principles, the basic tools and techniques, haven’t changed in centuries. At the heart of the medium is fire. Forges are used to heat steel to a plastic state before it is physically shaped “forged” by hammer and hand tools over an anvil. Combine this with innovations in metal cut/weld fabrication technology as well as industrial machinery and the result is a burgeoning art form.

Blacksmith artisans produce objects as diverse as pattern-welded knives and door hinges, architectural features and furniture, figurative objects and pure sculptural form. They create one off pieces for sale, work on commission, and produce production items for art, craft and design markets. From the high-end to the everyday artist blacksmiths are represented in a broad cross-section of the arts community.

This exhibition showcases and introduces forged steel objects to the Tasmanian audience. Objects by Tasmanian artisans working in the medium of steel will be displayed. This medium and these methods have a growing international following and are well represented in the Tasmanian context. This exhibition will highlight the diversity of local talent in the medium.