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I Forge Iron

Flower sculpture


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Thanks 781, I found out I didn't understand art either the day I took mine in. If only I had entered one like the guy who had two old cafe tables (by old I mean sidewalk rubbish collection old) with a half a log on top of each and called it "Brothers", I could have got a Highly Commended too. :)

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ian - i think its lovely, and i do understand art - its just subjective innit :) i really like the flowers, they hang beautifully, and the spread and amount of leaves is very appealing. if your happy with it then thats the most important - shame with competitions but thats just how it is - cant please all the people all the time etc etc :) i reckon its a really nice piece:)

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Metal work needs to be in a category of its own. Below is a story that covers what has happened to me twice. The lame little wood carving that took a blue ribbon in the below exhibition could have been carved by a blacksmith using a dull jackknife in about an hour.

If there is one thing I dearly wish an organization like ABANA would do it would be to hold and organize exhibitions for ironwork with proper categorization and judging so art pieces like your flower can properly measure up with like works. It can take a severe workshop with industrial equipment to construct a metal piece of art which arguably gets surrendered to a paintbrush, a piece of canvas, and good lighting. What remains is the impossible chore of trying to exhibit multi media works yet still providing what anyone would seek which is a “straight contest”.

Enjoy the following story if you care to read and I do hope the blacksmithing community can someday group together in a quest for a real metal work competition. Regards, Spears.

For those people who go out and try to build up their name and reputation as an award winning artist like I do, here’s some things that happen to us now and again that just plain suck! I’m hoping that sharing my experiences with all of you may help to combat or head off problems that might occur should your path be similar to mine with what you do with your art.

Juried fine art exhibitions all have negatives and inconsistencies to be dealt with that just comes as the nature of the beast. It’s always nice when you get to say you won an award, but more often you get to admit you didn’t place. It’s all good and life goes on but what is really terrible is when it is so strongly evident that things are lopsided that even the administrators admit they’re going to try to bring judges from afar to help out the process of judging. What happened to me this time wasn’t of judging but rather of circumstance.

This has happened before and the time it happened before I ended up not entering anything anywhere for 3 years. It was in a later year I decided to enter a local art exhibition and took an award for a dragon I made. Shortly after that I received a “call for artists” invitation for a somewhat distant museum exhibition. After going out and looking at the museum I decided to make a piece and I successfully got juried in to the exhibition.

Upon arriving at the award ceremony I found my sculpture at the far end of the museum displayed on a knee high platform with another artist’s sculpture right there on the same platform. You literally had to bend over to see the detail in my sculpture. This area of the museum didn’t seem to be as well lit as most of the place but that is a chance you take anywhere. There were some other sculptures displayed disrespectfully at a low knee level, but all of them had their own platform. The other artist on my platform didn’t deserve to have my sculpture sitting there in front of hers either. Most all of the sculptures where displayed individually on a waist high platform in decent lighting. If they were paired up, it was because they were made by the same artist. There were some nice cast bronze pieces on display, but other than that mine was the only other metal one. The rest were of different media.

I stayed through the awards and left quietly only to return the following morning to sign the release slip and abruptly take my sculpture home. The museum doesn’t deserve to display my sculpture for the next 30 days and my sculpture deserved a respectful platform of the correct height like all the others. My artwork will not be displayed disrespectfully in a lesser manner no matter how good or bad anyone thinks it is. A top representative of the museum contacted me an hour later and was 100% in agreement with the way I felt. She gave me her sincere apologies and stated she was going to prevent anything like this in the future. I don’t know why anyone would place an 8 inch tall sculpture down low like that but you can never count on the best display conditions. I’ve been in exhibitions where my artwork was displayed so nicely I didn’t even care whether I won an award or not. This was an exhibition I could guarantee I wouldn’t take an award after seeing the circumstances. So if you get some pieces juried into these events, inquire about display as much as possible to let them know you’re concerned. You may not always get the best part of the room, but your artwork deserves to look good no matter what.

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Spears, Boy does that sound familiar! Did a local art show and my pieces were almost on the floor! Lesson learned. First off in dealing with the art community I never use the word "blacksmith". Maybe "artist/sculptor in hot forged metals", but not "blacksmith". Second, any show that I get into I take my own pedestals to insure that everything is placed at the right height. I usually ask what color their pedestals are so I can paint mine the same color beforehand. I also have my name inside fo them so I'm sure to get them back. When signing the drop off sheet I put the pedestals on there, too. Usually when I deliver my work I stand around until I see what they are doing and if I "can be of assistance". They seem to like that.

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Ian, I think it's beautiful.

There are Art shows, and there are Art shows, sometimes you just never know which one you've landed in until it's too late! I've been to lots of good ones and a few bad ones, and you soon learn to spot the ones to avoid and the ones where your work fits. Good luck with it.

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Thats a nice piece, and what do the judges know anyway, its all subjective and nothing to do with skill.

What is the motivation behind entering these displays?

To win the top prize or to put your work before the public?

Even if you do not achieve a ranking, your work will be seen by many who attended these events, and not all visitors agree with what wins the top awards, but they may like your piece and take your details for future reference when they want something bespoke making.

Alternatively they may pass on your details to their friends or workmates.

In any case your work is seen in prestigious surrounds which gives it a certain kudos and exposure to a wider audience which can only be a good thing.

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Thanks for all your kind words everyone and your insights and observations on art shows. I will definitely be entering next years show with renewed enthusiasm and a different outlook.

Dave I managed to find a leaf photo I had taken earlier, I hope it shows enough detail. I also included a photo of the inside of the flower. The leaves were made from 16mm x 3mm flat ( the bottom leaves 16 x 5 ), the tip was tapered on edge to a short point and the base tapered to a width that would wrap half way around the flower stem, then the sides were spread one at a time on the edges of the anvil. Then the centre vein was chiseled in and the leaves given a slight roll using a v block and a cross pein with the base being hammered closed to a curve that fitted the stem. I then used the horn to get a slight curve on the tip and a few light taps here and there to give them a bit of character. The leaves were attached by filing a recess in the stem, which gave me enough area for good depth of weld, they were then welded on with a MIG, ground back with a flap disc and smoothed over with sandpaper.

Cheers Ian

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post-5570-0-20814200-1331326171_thumb.jp

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Very nice Ian and there's the problem, they look entirely too much like real flowers to be "art!"

The closest I've ever come to entering an "art" show was the year I displayed a couple of my doffers in the spinning guild's demo/display at the state fair. When I picked Deb up one evening I discovered I'd taken a purple and a blue ribbon for spinning tools. And, that's MY secret to success at "art" shows, display my stuff but not enter. I believe that displays just the right snootishness to be a winner in the "art" community.

Of course I could be wrong.

Frosty The Lucky.

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well done, I have a few pieces in a local gallery, turns out after I wrote up an artsy story on the development, it became a much more interesting piece! Make a back story, make it a tear jerker. Artists can be very wierd, I should know, I married one and oh yeah, I is one too!

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That looks / sounds like the leaf I'm wanting.......I'll give it a wirl in a couple of weeks. I'm going out of town tomorrow and won't be back for a while.
Thanks for the info.

(Oh and thanks for the memo that you posted on my thread......I about forgot I posted here! :D)

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I have been to a bunch of art shows in the Chicago area. Many times I cant help notice that the "artist" does a better job in explaining their work with fancy words than the effort that he or she has put into the finished piece. I wish my words were that eloquent but they are not . So I will continue to display my work at home. Kudos to the person that has the nerve to show their work in shows. Im glad you represent yourselves. You have got guts and integrity and please do not stop showing your work. If one could touch someones fancy with their work and don't get the acclimades from the jury, the mission was still accomplished.

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yes - displaying art can feel like a horrible exposing experience, but i am trying now to take the stance that it is simply for my own pleasure - if anyone else likes it it is a bonus. but its not That Important! :) keep it up everyone!

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