Galvanize has started! Hope to see you at the Millennium Gallery Metal Market on Saturday. Download a brochure here http://ow.ly/4lleZ
Galvanize has started! Hope to see you a
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Author Archives: Wapentac
Eiffel Tower: amazing structure, amazing views
Spirals +………….
Spiral + Flora
Spiral + Plumes
Spiral + Plumes (detail)
Spiral + Snowflakes
Spiral + Seedlings
All vessels stainless steel approx 400mm x 400mm x 200mm
Alphabet Spaghetti
I love working with text. There are 3 shallow platters in this series
Alphabet Spaghetti 1 - stainless steel platter - detail
Alphabet Spaghetti 1 - stainless steel platter - 450mm x 300mm x 150mm
Alphabet Spaghetti 2 - detail - 'alphabet' letters insert into platter surface
Alphabet Spaghetti 3 - stainless steel platter - 450mm x 300mm x 30mm
Alphabet Spaghetti 3 - detail - 'spaghetti' inserts into platter surface
Peeled
Ripples and Waves
I designed special etched patterns, specifically to create natural strengths and weaknesses in the stainless steel sheet. This allowed the sheet to be manipulated in interesting ways to create controlled waves and ripples. ‘Wave’ (left) 300mm X 200mm 50mm. ‘Tracks’ (below)300mm X 300mm X 30mm. ‘Tracks’ may be displayed as a wall piece or used as as a shallow vessel.
As Fabric
My earliest acid etched research involved etching patterns into stainless steel sheet metal from both sides, until ‘holes’ appeared through the material. I have always loved fabrics and dressmaking, so I reversed the idea of woven plaid fabrics where the threads cross over to increase the intensity of the colour. In this case it could almost be described as a ‘reduction weaving’ process, where the patterns crossed over, gaps appear, to build the pattern. I then used this material almost as a fabric, cutting, folding and ‘buttoning’ with simple ‘darts’, to create subtle vessels.
Why ‘The Acid Test’
I’ve decide to remame this blog…..’The Acid Test’, as I would like to write about more than just Wapentac. I want to recall what came before Wapentac and what happens alongside it. Talk a bit about the people behind Wapentac.
Several years ago I produced a new body of work I called ‘The Acid Test’. It was a solo show of new experimental artwork, at The Design Centre, Barnsley. All the work arose from research I did into the integration of hand and digital drawing with industrial processes. This work was acid etched, mainly in stainless steel. All the work I have designed and developed since has come from this, and I am keen to keep experimenting and testing ideas. I need to keep questioning ‘does it pass the acid test?’
Running & Writing
About a year ago I read ‘What I talk about when I talk about running’ by Haruki Murakami. I was doing a lot of running at that time, and naturally felt inspired by his talk about running. We were in it together. I knew exactly what he was talking about. What surprised me even more, was how fascinated I was with his talk about writing. The words just seemed to tumble off his tongue with such ease. I felt so inspired I should be able to do the same! Sadly this is not the case! So I will stick to running and reading………..and occasional blogging.
My Metal World
I have a re-occurring question in nearly all my design projects. What can you create with a flat sheet of metal, using only selected cutting to influence the folding and forming? I haven’t tired of this question, although I may concentrate on some of the themes and developed series, as has happened with the Wapentac Wapenmap range. This has concentrated and brought together all my loves – walking in the countryside (I’m very lucky to be living on the edge of the Peak District), maps, mapping, design and metalwork. This is one of the first maps I made – my metal world – Damflask is a very local reservoir and we often run or walk around it. In fact we explore the whole area. I am somewhere on that map most days – around Ughill or Agden.
The Acid Test 
