The Steel Wire recently spoke with Bruvel about his Flow Series of sculptures. With ribbons of stainless steel, Bruvel has created stunning representations of life, its dualities, and its binding contradictions.

You’ve worked with a variety of media including oils, pencils, pastels, wood, and bronze. With the Flow Series you began using stainless steel. What inspired you to start working with steel?

Among all the different material I use for my artwork, stainless steel or inox steel has the qualities I needed to materialize the sculptures of the Flow Series. I wanted to create different variations of reflectivity for the surface of my artwork to fuse with its environment by simply reflecting it. The reflections can be made from grained surfaces up to a highly reflective mirror polish surfaces. If I want to represent the feeling of water or the sensation of the wind pressing on the skin like in the sculpture of the Wind, I can play with these variations to further the feeling of flow and my personal interpretations of patterns inspired by nature.

“Bringing stainless steel to this new platform was to bring the paradox of the sense of permanence that stainless-steel gives, its natural resistance to rusting over time and stability in harsh environment…”
– Gil Bruvel

Steel seems like it would be a difficult medium to work with. How has steel allowed you to express your creativity, compared to other media?

Stainless steel is indeed a rigorous material needing very structured methods to work with. But at the same time, it allows this illusory notion of opposite between the rigidity of steel and this sense of fluidity and movement I can infuse it with. It momentarily freezes the ephemeral, the constant motion of nature, permanence and impermanence.

Gil Bruvel works on My Mirror Remains (Photo courtesy of Gil Bruvel)

It is impressive to see you create such elaborate pieces using steel. Can you describe your work process? How do you go from idea to steel sculpture? How long does it take? What tools do you use to mold your sculptures?

I start with various sketches and a considerable amount of time figuring out what my intentions are about a specific piece. This represents multiple iterations with sketches whether it is inspired by, as examples, erosions carved by the wind or water, dunes formations, ripples in the sand, physical sensations, motions, emotions, the grass or leaves in trees pushed by the wind and the infinite myriads of patterns small or large nature is made of.

Then I start to model the concepts until I think it is ready to receive a silicon mold. With this mold, we pull a wax for the lost wax process at the foundry and to finally do the casting. After removing the sprues and chasing the surface of the steel, I start to play with the reflectivity of the surface up to the most polished parts of the final sculpture.

It takes many months to create a sculpture from the original concept to the final cast.

Gil Bruvel’s Dichotomy sculpture that “meditates on and celebrates the dual nature of existence.” (Photo courtesy of Gil Bruvel)

Which steel sculpture would you consider to be your best, or favorite? And why?

My favorite sculpture of the Flow Series is of course the next one I am about to do with the renewed excitement to apply the new skills and knowledge I gathered from the previous works with the integration of new ideas and concepts as well as continuing to explore and studying new patterns.

“Among all the different material I use for my artwork, stainless steel or inox steel has the qualities I needed to materialize the sculptures… -Gil Bruvel

I like the sculpture of Dichotomy for the simplicity of its message about the human condition. The vertical lines in opposition with the horizontal lines contained within this same bust, whatever contradictions or oppositions we experience are simply part of who we are.

The sculpture of Rain is also one of my favorite for its meditative aspect. The sculpture entitled River with its metaphor of the river flow carrying our memories and experiences.

The Wind, the euphoric awareness of being alive, feeling the wind against our skin. And many other sculptures.

Offering a variation on the theme of human frailty, My Mirror Remains explores what it means to be fully human. (Photo courtesy of Gil Bruvel)

What message are you ultimately trying to convey through the Flow Series? How does using steel help you communicate that?

All the above might contribute to this question, but mainly I see art as a platform, an opportunity to experiment with my own perspective, in the form of artwork to show and share the results of these experimentations. To keep building a universal language we can all relate to. I think the universality of steel lends itself to this idea. Our planet is shrinking with the way we communicate and art can be what binds us together.

How is your artistic vision embodied through your use of steel in the Flow Series? How is it connected (or different) from your other work?

The many different material and methods I use to create my artwork goes in parallel with my passionate pursuit of knowledge. The Flow Series has been a centerpiece to my creative process, and I see it as a continuum to my previous experiments with other materials. Bringing stainless steel to this new platform was to bring the paradox of the sense of permanence that stainless-steel gives, its natural resistance to rusting over time and stability in harsh environment comparatively to other material; and at the opposite, the artistic expression of fleeting moments and ephemeral nature of our experiences we have, the constant changes and impermanence of life.

The Steel Wire is excited to have had the opportunity to talk with Gil Bruvel. His artistry and expertise surpass expectations and his exquisite sculptures show us the beauty that can be found in steel.

Watch the video below to see some of Gil Bruvel’s favorite pieces and hear more about his work process and inspiration. You can find out more about the artist and his exhibitions by visiting his website or following him on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

BRUVEL from One Story Productions on Vimeo.

But Mexican-American sculptor and furniture designer David Madero challenges this notion, using a torch as his paintbrush and an industrial-looking workshop as his studio to create dramatic, larger-than-life works of art.

Reinterpreting an Ancient Art

Welding can trace its historic roots back to ancient times. The earliest examples come from the Bronze Age and include small gold circular boxes. During the Iron Age, the Egyptians and people in the eastern Mediterranean area learned to weld pieces of iron together, while later on in the Middle Ages, the art of blacksmithing was developed and many items of iron were welded by hammering. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century that welding, as we know it today, was invented.

Madero reinterprets this bygone craft with his works, advancing welding to convey raw, artistic beauty. He converts gleaming pieces of steel into textured creations that range from the heroic to the grotesque. Spectacular, towering sculptures highlight themes of power and perseverance, as well as the strength of ordinary, working class men.

Yet, considering the sheer magnificence of his work, it might come as a surprise that Madero has never had any formal training in welding. Instead, he spent his childhood in his father’s workshop, surrounded by all sorts of welding equipment. As a result, using the tools became second nature to him.

In fact, much of his knowledge about welding was taught to him by his late father. Rogelio Madero, Madero told the American Welding Society in an interview, was a true pioneer of metal art who began using welding techniques for his artwork as early as the 1950s.

“He did truly amazing things with his trusty old oxyacetylene torch and beat-up MIG welder,” Madero noted. “I grew up trying to imitate him.”

From Function to Form

Drawing on inspiration from his father, Madero started his company, Madero / Co., in Torreón, Mexico in 2013. He began his career producing small sculptures, functional artwork, sculpted furniture and public art that he worked on by himself. As work requests started piling up, he hired a team of structural engineers, industrial designers and a sales and marketing team. Not before long, he became known as one of the foremost welding sculptors in the world.

Although Madero claims to have little technical experience, his use of artistic imagery is undeniable. Using a variety of processes and techniques such as oxyacetylene, stick, MIG, TIG, plasma cutting and a great amount of grinding and polishing, Madero and his team breathe life into spirited creatures, gestural figures and disputatious characters.

Each of his sculptures conveys an element of tension that creates a sense of palpable emotion.

Take one of Madero’s most notable pieces—the Mexican coat of arms. The majestic metal fixture incorporates an intricate golden eagle perched on a spiky cactus. Inside the eagle’s mouth dangles a snake revealing its sharp fangs. The public sculpture, which was installed in front of Mexico City’s Los Pinos—the official residence of the President of Mexico—is a wonderful example of welded art at its finest.

Another notable work is “Serpentina”—a 500-foot long steel monument that snakes along a wall Albuquerque International Airport. The project, which he worked on with his father, took 12 months to complete.

Many of his works’ subjects—metalworkers—boast the same drive and determination as the artist himself.

In fact, Madero believes that welders are not only some of the most trustworthy and hardworking people around, but that they positively contribute to society through their work. He also believes that the future of art will be transformed by those that take up welding as a profession, as many of them have no preconceived notions about what art should be.

In addition to his passion for welded art, Madero is also enthusiastic about teaching his craft to others. He has given welded art workshops in all corners of the world, eager to pass on his knowledge to those who are interested in learning more about this highly skillful form of art.

For those that can’t make it all the way to Mexico to see Madero’s art, the artist regularly posts photos and videos on his website and Instagram feed. These images not only showcase his stunning finished works, but also the grueling process involved in creating them.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

Kaohsiung’s metamorphosis from a quiet town to a major industrial hub began in the late nineteenth century under Japanese colonial rule.

In 1900, a railway was built between Kaohsiung and Tainan, which had previously been southern Taiwan’s most significant town. Shortly thereafter, harbor facilities for large ships began to crop up, setting the stage for the establishment of Taiwan’s first iron and steel mill in 1919. Steel production continued to increase with an additional steel mill built in the 1970s.

As the city’s high tech industries continue to glisten with an ever-growing luster, the Kaohsiung City Government is working to strengthen its cultural identity to showcase the crucial importance of steel.

Steel by the Sea

Perhaps one of the most notable depictions of the city’s cultural transformation is the Pier 2 Art Center, Kaohsiung’s premiere art district.

Two decades ago, the area was home to a cluster of abandoned warehouses. But in the early 2000s, the site was converted into a venue for artistic creation and experimentation by government authorities and members of local cultural communities.

The project has since led to the establishment of a sprawling campus of large, sophisticated spaces developed to host a variety of activities such as craft fairs and art shows. Included among them are exhibition venues and stores operated by emerging Taiwanese cultural and creative product designers like the Yan Chen Metal Workshop, which uses its retail space to sell jewelry and host metalworking classes.

In 2015, the Pier 2 Art Center also launched an artist residency project. Under the program, the city government subsidizes residencies at the site, typically for periods of about three months. As of this past March, 37 Taiwanese and international artists had participated in the project.

Celebrating Steel

The Kaohsiung City Government’s Bureau of Cultural Affairs has also organized a range of cultural events and art fairs at the Pier 2 Art Center, such as the Kaohsiung International Steel & Iron Sculpture Festival.

The biennial event was established in 2002 to celebrate the seaport city’s historical relationship with iron and steel. Like several of Taiwan’s other festivals, the Steel and Iron Festival features art that draws on materials vital to its local economy.

The event showcases the often overlooked aesthetics of iron and steel sculpture from an international perspective, integrating a number of specially commissioned works by metal craft artists.

Distinguished steel and iron sculptors from around the globe convene at the event where they fabricate new works over a two-week period from approximately 120 tons of materials provided by a locally based steelworks. Once completed, their ostentatious metal structures are installed along the pier, adding a renewed vibrancy to the city’s cultural landscape.

In addition to creating new works, participating artists also provide the public with insight into the subtleties of ferrous metal sculpture through public workshops and lectures. The festival also offer historical tours for those who want to learn more about the city’s relationship with ferrous metals.

Science, Steel and Spiraling Slides

The rapid growth of Kaohsiung over the past century was no doubt catalyzed by outstanding breakthroughs in technology. These advancements are not only celebrated through the city’s festivals, but also exhibitions at the National Science and Technology Museum (NSTM).

Opened in 1997, the NSTM aims to enrich citizens’ knowledge of science and technology, and record and present Taiwan’s related achievements. Exhibitions on scientific principles and applications that complement the local heavy industries not only create educational opportunities, but also enrich the culture of local industrial communities.

Since its establishment, the museum has since grown to be the world’s second-largest science museum, and is constantly adding attractions to allure even more visitors. Last year, for example, the NSTM unveiled a giant spiraling slide, which lets visitors slide from the top to the bottom in 12 seconds at a top speed of 67 kilometers per hour.

It enables visitors to not only experience the fun of sliding at a high speed, but to learn about physics-related subjects such as free fall, centrifugal force, friction and centripetal force. The slide helped draw about 800,000 visitors to London’s Tate Modern art gallery within three months following its launch in 2014.

The slide is constructed of acrylic glass and, appropriately enough for Kaohsiung, stainless steel.

As Taiwan’s steel city continues to transform into a capital of culture, it is certain that its steel roots will not soon be forgotten.

Steel City Highlight: Birmingham, USA

Steel City Highlight: Pittsburgh, USA

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

Masamune: Japan’s Legendary Swordsmith

Masamune is widely recognized as Japan’s greatest swordsmith—so much so that he has reached an almost legendary status. He created swords and daggers in the Soshu tradition between the late 13^th and early 14^th centuries, according to most historians. His swords are reputed for their superior beauty and quality—remarkable in an era when sword-making steel was often impure.

A legend tells of a test where he was challenged by Muramasa, another great swordsmith and one of his supposed students, to see who could make a finer sword. When both swords were finished, they tested the results by suspending the blades in a small creek. Muramasa’s sword cut everything that passed its way, but Masamune’s cut only leaves.

As Muramasa taunted his master for his sword’s ineptness, an onlooking monk approached and explained what he had seen. “The first of the swords was by all accounts a fine sword; however it is a blood thirsty, evil blade, as it does not discriminate as to who or what it will cut,” he said. “The second was by far the finer of the two, as it does not needlessly cut that which is innocent and undeserving.”

An award for swordsmiths called the Masamune prize is awarded at the Japanese Sword Making Competition to a swordsmith who has created an exceptional masterpiece.

John Fritz: Father of the American Steel Industry

Also known as the “Father of the U.S. Steel Industry,” John Fritz was an American pioneer of iron and steel technology. Born in 1822, Fritz began his steel-centric career at the tender age of 16. He became an apprentice in the trades of blacksmith and machinist—the latter involving repairs of agricultural and manufacturing machinery, such as the simple blast furnaces of the time.

He then went on to work in a rolling-mill, where he was responsible for all machinery. He discovered flaws in design and construction, which he then corrected either by his own inventions or by those which he adopted and introduced.

Fritz was among the first to introduce the Bessemer process to the United States. He also proposed open-hearth furnaces, among other improvements, thus paving the way for the expansion of the steel industry. The John Fritz Medal, established on Fritz’s 80^th birthday in 1902, is awarded annually by the American Association of Engineering Societies for scientific or industrial achievement in any field of pure or applied science.

Jan Liwacz: Holocaust Survivor and Master Blacksmith

Polish native Jan Liwacz was detained and arrested by the Nazis in 1939. After being kept in multiple prisons, he arrived at Auschwitz the following year. As a master blacksmith, he was assigned to a kommando, manufacturing the camp’s infrastructure elements such as gratings, handrails, banisters and chandeliers. Yet, he is perhaps most known for his work on the infamous wrought-iron sign spanning the entrance of the concentration camp.

_{By Dnalor 01 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 at (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/at/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons (image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Arbeit-macht-frei3.jpg )}

Bearing the contemptuous phrase “Arbeit Macht Frei” (“Work Sets You Free”), the gate itself was constructed under German orders by Polish political prisoners in the metalworking detail under Liwacz. It is believed that, in an act of defiance which went unnoticed, the prisoners reversed the B in “Arbeit,” making it appear upside down.

In 1944, he was transferred to Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp. After the liberation of the camp one year later, Liwacz trekked to Bystrzyca Kłodzka, Poland, where he started working at a local forge. He remained there as an artist blacksmith. After his retirement, he continued teaching artisan smithery in a local vocational school until he passed away in 1980.

Tony Swatton: Hollywood’s Renowned Propmaster

As a young boy, UK-born Tony Swatton passed his days cutting gemstones, making knives and silversmithing. When he was 17, Swatton attended a renaissance fair where he observed another blacksmith making armor. Soon thereafter, he made copies of the blacksmith’s equipment and used them to make a helmet. Just a decade later, he had refined his skills enough to open his Sword and the Stone workshop in North Hollywood where he began selling products to the likes of Euro Disney and Michael Jackson.

_{Resource:http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/pirates/images /c /cc/Fightforthekey1-.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20120424065502}

His work attracted the attention of film corporations, and in 1991, he was employed to do his first film work on Hook, making swords. He has since become the mastermind behind some of Hollywood’s most recognizable props, working on more than 200 films including The Hunger Games and Pirates of the Caribbean franchises, as well as TV shows such as Sleepy Hollow and Revolution.

At his Burbank workshop, Swatton forges everything from historically accurate swords, to knives, to suits of armor, and hosts his own web series, Man at Arms.

Despite its thousand year old history, blacksmithing remains just as important today as it did in its early years. There’s no doubt that blacksmiths will continue to play a vital role across numerous industries as time goes on.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

Heart of Steel (Hemoglobin), 2005, Photo Credit: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Heart of Steel by Julian Voss-Andreae

Inspired by his background in science, Julian Voss-Andreae is a German sculptor based in Portland, Oregon. He began his artistic career as a painter, but later changed directions and returned to study physics, mathematics and philosophy at the Universities of Berlin, Edinburgh and Vienna. Voss-Andreae completed his graduate studies in quantum physics, then moved to the U.S. to study sculpture, graduating from the Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2004.

Voss-Andreae’s work, showcases his background in science, and has been commissioned for multiple institutions and collectors around the globe, including several universities. He has also been featured in print and broadcast media worldwide.

Photo Credit: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported

Hearts in San Francisco

The Hearts in San Francisco project began in 2004. One hundred thirty-one heart sculptures created by local Bay Area artists, were displayed for three months until they were auctioned. The project raised almost $2 million for the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation, as well as a new level of exposure for its mission of providing life-saving care to anyone in need, regardless of ability to pay.

The hearts are located all over the San Francisco area. Some of the hearts are owned privately, while others are in public and easily discovered locations. Due to the Hearts in San Francisco project, the hearts are easily recognizable and spread a positive recognition of the Heart of Our City campaign to raise awareness and donations for the San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center.

Pop Heart by Kristen Hoard

This is a contemporary tabletop metal sculpture created from recycled metal. This heart art is cut out of one piece of steel, which is pulled out to make the heart appear to pop out at the viewer.

Kristen Hoard began sculpting with metal in 1999. Based in Sacramento, Hoard participates regularly in art festivals throughout Northern California and exhibits in local galleries. Inspired by her experiences at Burning Man, Hoard now experiments with sculptures that incorporate the use of fire, flames and neon lighting. She has also completed several large corporate logo metal sculpture pieces displayed around the Bay Area.

Photo Credit: http://www.decordova.org/art/sculpture-park/two-big-black-hearts

Two Big Black Hearts by Jim Dine

Though Jim Dine was influenced as a young artist in the 1960s by pop art, his work draws significantly from abstract expressionism. For his piece, Two Big Black Hearts, Dine has incorporated casts of various objects, including hands, faces, seashells, hammers and other tools into the surface of the sculptures two large hearts. While this may appear to be a random combination of objects, Dine put great thought into the objects to use. The tools represent childhood memories; his grandparents owned a hardware store.

The heart is significant in whole context of Dine’s work, he has returned to this image throughout his career, using it as a backdrop for his expressions. This diverges from the traditional style of pop art, and Dine focuses on turning objects into emotion. He works in several media, ranging from painting, drawing, and mixed media to sculpture, photography, book illustration, and printmaking. Dine often utilizes mixed-media and collage techniques. His own personal items, such as his own clothing, shoes, and tools, become a part of his canvases. The artist now lives and works in New York and Vermont.

Photo Credit: https://www.facebook.com/heartfullnessproject

Heartfullness by Katy Boynton

Katy Boynton hopes to give hope through her Heartfullness project, which embodies the idea that even if our hearts are damaged, they can heal again. Heartfullness is a 12 by 15 foot steel burning heart. The transformed heart features fire elements that are controlled by pulling on its heartstrings. The flames can be viewed from outside, and from the cozy love seat made of woven rope inside the sculpture. The interior skeleton is made of steel, and covered by reclaimed sheet metal representing a reconstructed heart. The sculpture is complete with red LEDs that follow the beating of a heart on an audio file.

The sculpture debuted at Burning Man in 2012, and continues to be exhibited. Katy also creates stainless steel jewelry depicting her Heartfullness theme.

Photo Credit: http://wgsn-hbl.blogspot.hk/2010/07/sculpture-in-garden.html

Stranded Heart by Diane Maclean

The Stranded Heart sculpture by Diane Maclean was donated to the University of Leicester by an anonymous party to support the Cardiovascular Research Centre (CRC) at the Leicester Glenfield Hospital. Cardiovascular disease is one of the major causes of illness and death in the UK, taking the lives of over 198,000 people every year.Diane Maclean works primarily with steel and stainless steel on a large scale and has exhibited her work widely in the UK and around the world.

Be sure you never miss any of the exciting steel stories from The Steel Wire by subscribing to our blog.

Music

Lykke Li, Heart of Steel

Lykke Li is a Swedish indie singer-songwriter who became a widely recognized recording artist following the release of her first album, Youth Novels. Her second and third albums were also met with critical and popular acclaim. She lends her voice to numerous collaborative efforts, writes music for movie soundtracks and is a successful fashion model. Her third album, released in 2014, featured the track, Heart of Steel. The moody melody and haunting lyrics include the refrain, “Oh heart of steel, you reel me in. Oh heart of steel, I can’t let you win.” (Image: http://bit.ly/1Lo4pqr)

Frank Ocean, Bricks and Steel

American singer-songwriter, Frank Ocean got his start as a ghostwriter for influential recording artists, such as Justin Bieber, John Legend and Brandy. He released his first mixtape in 2011, followed by his first full-length album in 2013. Both were received with critical acclaim. His debut album features a song titled Bricks and Steel, which compares a past partner as having had a relationship with a pile of bricks and steel. (image: http://bit.ly/1TX9nyP)

John Lennon, Steel and Glass

Most well-known as part of the phenomenon that was the Beatles, John Lennon is a well-respected solo artist. He is well-known as a musician and a political activist as many of his peers were. He recorded the tune, Steel and Glass, written a mystery man, sometimes believed to be his business manager. Lennon cryptically explained that the song was not about any one person, but many people. (image: http://bit.ly/1TX9pqv)

Tina Turner, Steel Claw

Tina Turner was born American, but now holds Swiss citizenship. Her infamous relationship with Ike Turner caused a stir following the publication of her autobiography, I, Tina. In addition to her relationship with Ike Turner, she is known as the Queen of Rock and Roll and is one of the world’s best-selling music artists of all time. She is a true example of an all-around entertainer; her talents include singing, dancing, acting and writing. Her career has spanned more than half a century. Her song, Steel Claw, addresses social and class issues of life in the U.S. (image: http://bit.ly/1Kz8IJI)

Outkast, Wheelz of Steel

Outkast is one of the first hip hop acts to gain both critical and commercial acclaim. Influenced by funk, soul, psychedelic, electronic, gospel and jazz, the duo helped popularize the “Dirty South” style of rap music. They are responsible for the soundtrack for the movie, Idlewild, in which they both starred. Outkast is the first and only hip hop group to ever win the Grammy Album of the Year award (2004, Speakerboxxx/The Love Below). In total, Outkast has won six Grammy awards and is one of the most successful hip hop acts of all time. Wheelz of Steel is featured on 1996’s ATLiens, and describes life in urban Atlanta, Georgia.  (image: http://bit.ly/1Jnxr7m)

“As I stepped closer to this work of art, the peace of the forest disappeared. The trees, the rays of light and the outlines of the trees’ roots gradually scattered, leaving behind only entangled wires. They were all I could see. As I backed up, the forest reappeared, at first glance appearing like pencil drawings. Then I asked myself, is what I see now the forest, or not?” Sung-ran Park, Novelist

What We See is Not Everything

Seung-mo Park is a sculptor who uses stainless steel wires to create complex and stunning works of art. Park layers the wire, bending and welding it until he completes his three-dimensional sculptures.

The right distance is required to enjoy Seung-mo Park’s “Yeon-gi 8460.” Yeon-gi is a Buddhist concept of connection; everything is interdependent. All things arise as a result of multiple causes and conditions. As viewers draw closer, shapes scatter until finally they may wonder what they saw. Wire entanglements, which were used to make the piece, are all that remain. Suddenly, the viewers can feel the weight of the wire materials, and the change of the property can be confusing. Some of Park’s pieces weigh over one ton.

“Most people who see Yeon-gi have the same feeling,” says the artist, Seung-mo Park with a smile. Born in Gyung-nam Sanchung, he speaks with using a local dialect. Having been raised in a small country town, there was not much to see or do, so he occupied his time by drawing pictures on the ground. Although not really sure why, his usual subject was horses. Amazed, his friends would surround him, watching while he drew. After some time, his life would change because of a phone call from one of these friends.  

Most people focus on the material first. When Park exhibited his aluminum series, people often asked him how he came to decide on aluminum. They wondered how aluminum wires could be used to create everything objects like bicycles, instruments, statues of Buddha and even people.

A bicycle is a bicycle. An instrument is an instrument. Buddha is Buddha. But are the sculptures even real? The sculptures made of meticulously wound up wires are all empty inside. What the viewers think they see, isn’t truly there. The intensity of the subject matter and the difficulty of the pieces of art captivated audiences.

Seung-mo Park says of his work, “You recognize it clearly as a picture from a distance first, but as you start to approach, it begins to fade and you feel a sense of alienation. People usually move back to view the work again, what I want is only for them to ask themselves at that moment – ‘Is it real or not?’”

(Image: http://bit.ly/1JUM6aL)

Intertwining Connections with Steel

He had previously thought about creating art with steel. By chance, he spoke to his friend who happened to be a painter. “Different muscles are developed depending on the environment where a man grows up. And one can know who he is and how he has lived so far based on them.” That story remained with him for a long time. He wondered, was he made in a same way? If environment makes a man, is man not made of particles which are, in effect, just tangled connections?”

Park began work on Yeon-gi based on that idea; however, it was difficult to find adequate material to represent particles. He tried working with straw numerous times, but it couldn’t be molded. Aluminum was laborious to weld, but the biggest challenge was that it collapsed and couldn’t hold its shape. Steel was the final option. Steel is now his most favorite material because steel is capable of being molded and carved. Still it took a long time to find a way to make steel represent particles. 

Who Am I?

A phone call with his hometown friend prompted Park to ask himself, “Who am I?” His friend reminded him he once drew pictures very well. At that moment, Park realized that while he had once believed it was his mission, he only started to draw to get the attention of others. He immediately stopped studying and headed to India. While he was visiting Parbat Mountain, he found himself drawing again while sitting in a café. Speaking about his vision as active artist, he says, “I think there’s no answers. In the past, I tried to find answers. But now, all I think about is finding the question.”

(Image: http://bit.ly/1UDLRUy)

After the interview, the artist shared a photo of a back view of Yeon-gi. Yeon-gi is not a work of art that can be viewed passively. The audience actively views it from all angles. They will find more light from the back view than the front.

What is this? What is the difference between the back and the front of the wire entanglements? When the audience considers these questions, a complete understanding of the work is discovered. It is this duality that has been central to Seung-mo Park for a long time; life and death, dream and reality. The images he creates are vague, like a fantasy. We are only particles too, such as the trees and water in Yeon-gi. Suddenly, the audience finds themselves asking themselves the question, “Who am I?” There was no clear answer, but the question is enough.

Steel has been used for some 3,800 years and has played a significant role in civilization throughout the history of mankind. From its use in the ancient weapons and hand tools of Rome and India, to the bridges and modern architectural marvels of today, the metal has been utilized in just about every conceivable way and it is seemingly impossible to imagine a world without it.

Unsurprisingly, as times have changed, so has the way we use steel. Not only has it been a practical material of function, but it has evolved into one of form, too, as a medium of art that transcends eras of historical metal relics to modern design. Nevertheless, many ancient steel artifacts, such as Damascus steel swords or Buddhist sculptures, for example, can be considered works of art themselves; the level of detail and quality of craftsmanship demonstrated in such pieces are spectacular, especially taking into account that they were created without the use of modern technology.

Today, sculpting steel is a form of artistry unlike any other and, in the hands of the right person, the durable, malleable material is capable of being transformed into just about anything the imagination can fathom.

An Artistic Metamorphosis

Contemporary artists of the 1900s continued to expand steel’s boundaries as a medium of art. American artist Alexander Calder changed the course of modern art by developing a pioneering technique to sculpt and twist wire into poetic, abstract shapes to create three-dimensional mobiles that hang in uncanny, perfect balance. Later on in his career, Calder devoted himself to making outdoor monumental sculptures in bolted sheet steel that continue to adorn public plazas across the world. Similarly, Richard Serra, often hailed as the world’s “greatest living sculptor”, also incorporated unconventional, industrial materials to accentuate the physical properties of art in the 1960s. His works, which are primarily large-scale and site-specific that engage with a particular urban or landscape setting, have become known all around the globe and have been the inspiration behind the designs of everything from electronics to fashion.

A Journey through the Art of Steel

Perhaps nowhere is this evolution from function to form more clear than at the POSCO Art Museum in Seoul, South Korea, which, to mark the foundation’s 20^th anniversary, is hosting an exhibition entitled Cheori Cheolcheol: From the Four Devas to Robot Taekwon V until July 7 (after which it will be held at the Pohang POSCO Gallery from July 17 to August 13).

The exhibition, which displays statues, handicrafts and furniture, among other works, from the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392) to modern times, aims to illustrate the past, the present and the future of steel in our everyday lives.

Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by “Robot Taekwon V”, a sculpture inspired by an animated superhero robot of the same name popular in the 1970s, by Kim Taek-ki, a young artist who has been in the spotlight for his creative ideas.

Another highlight is “Yeongi”, an extraordinary landscape piece by Seungmo Park. In his Maya series (“illusion” in Sanskrit), of which the work is a part of, Park sketches and cuts two-dimensional contours on stainless steel mesh to create a type of three-dimensionality, which alters the appearance of the works depending on the angles from which they are viewed.

Each of the pieces on display at the POSCO Art Museum allows visitors to experience the diverse and sometimes contradicting aspects of steel, which are both strong and soft, and cold and hot.

By taking a look at the ancient artifacts of the distant past, as well as the futuristic works of contemporary times, it is clear that not only has steel been used for more than a thousand years in daily life, but it has also breathed life into the passion of artists throughout time.