IIW welded art exhibition, 2021

ON-LINE ASSEMBLY AND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE iiw 2O21 JULY 7/21

WELDED ART PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION THE ARTISTIC SOUL OF WELDING IIW 2021 DIGITAL COLLECTION

WELCOME MESSAGE

As President of the International Institute of Welding, it is my privilege to extend a warm welcome to the 2021 IIW Welded Art Photographic Exhibition. This is our third exhibition for welded art. Due to the outbreak and continuing risks of Covid-19, both this year’s and last year’s exhibitions consist of downloadable digital collections. It is important to note that this exhibition is neither a competition nor a selection of the best in the world of welded art but is intended to be an informal and unpressured platform for people to show their abilities and artistic expression. Welded art provides a number of benefits; as a hobby it can prove to be therapeutic; it is a wonderful tool to improve the image of welding and, in some cases can provide an income for people with the appropriate artistic skills. 42 exhibits have been received from 15 countries and cover 10 Categories. The IIW 2021 Digital Collection showcases these benefits through the stories of the artists and their passion for welded art. A key message to everyone, including the 700-800 welding professionals who will be attending the IIW Annual Assembly is the vast breadth of welding. This welded art exhibition showcases the flexibility and versatility of the welding discipline, and how it is gaining acceptance as another artistic medium capable of expressing many different designs and forms. Our desire through holding these welded art exhibitions, is also to encourage as many people as possible to take up the art, trade, or profession of welding.

MR. DAVID LANDON IIW President (2020-2023)

2

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This is the third welded art photographic exhibition to be held by IIW and one can only be delighted with the spirited response shown by all the people supporting it. This year we have over 40 exhibits of many types and levels from artists representing 15 countries and all the participants have shown great enthusiasm in helping to achieve our objective to demonstrate the value and benefits of welding and welded art. Whether it is an individual, a team or a group of artists across the different Categories, they all deserve our sincere thanks and appreciation for participating in this exhibition. The interactions with them all have been outstanding and their contributions greatly appreciated, particularly as participation is entirely voluntary. Thanks must also go to those organisations which promoted the exhibition in their countries, and it is hoped that their example will encourage others to provide similar promotion and support next year. This could include holding their own exhibitions, showcasing their local talented artists. I would also like to thank the IIW Board of Directors for its confidence in supporting the introduction of this initiative, as well as the IIW CEO Luca Costa, together with Rosario Russo, Anna Luxardi, Barbara Rossi, Simone Cosulich and Simona Campanella from the on-line IIW Annual Assembly Organising Committee for their engagement and involvement in the planning, preparation and implementation of aspects of the initiative. The exhibition could not take place without their enthusiasm and support. If anyone viewing these welded artworks would like to contact the artists directly, I would encourage them to do this through the contact details provided in the text.

MR. CHRIS SMALLBONE Exhibition Organiser

Questions and feedback on the exhibition can be sent to me on allbones@iinet.net.au

3

INDEX OF THE ARTISTS

CAREER ARTISTS

HOBBY ARTISTS

7

39

ALEKSI ANGELOV (Bulgaria)

40

HILARY CLARKE COLE (Canada)

8

DIMO ATANASOV (Bulgaria)

42

LOLA CORRALES (Spain)

10

ERIC HARRISTHAL (USA)

44

ANN GILDNER (USA)

12

ANDREY MAKHORIN (Kazakhstan)

46

NIDHISH GOPINATH (India)

14

KEN MCKEN (Canada)

48

RICARD MIRA (Spain)

16

CHARLES MORRISSETTE (Canada)

50

LEILA NAZARI (Iran)

18

SIMON RICHARDSON (UK)

52

DARKO OMCIKUS (Serbia)

20

LAURENT RIVORY (Australia)

54

CARMELO ORAMAS (Germany)

22

MAGDALENA PAVLOVIC (Serbia)

24

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

57

LUIS PEREZ (Spain)

26

LIVIU MOCAN (Romania)

58

JOSEP PLANDIURA (Spain)

28

STUART PAGE (UK)

60

KENDALL POLSTER (USA)

30

PHOTOGRAPHY

RYAN SCHMIDT (USA)

32

63

NENAD STOJANOVSKI (Serbia)

3 4

STEVEN BORLE (Canada)

64

MIKE VAN DAM (Australia)

MILAN MARONEK (Slovakia)

3 6

66

4

INDEX OF THE ARTISTS

EDUCATORS AS MOTIVATORS

STUDENTS DEVELOPING CAREERS IN WELDING

69

91

LEAH APPLEJOHN and PAULO FERREIRA (Canada)

70

PYPER PHILLIPS (Canada)

92

JENNIFER COSTA (USA)

72

TESSA POTTS and EILEEN FIRINGSTONEY (Canada)

94

ERIC MCCUTCHEON (Canada)

74

DANIELA TORELLI (Canada)

76

YOUNG ARTISTS

97

RENEE SALOKA WALLBAUM (USA)

78

HUNTER FEICHT (USA)

98

THOMAS HUISMAN (Australia)

100

COMPETITIONS AS CATALYSTS FOR CAREERS IN WELDING

81

WELDED ART GROUPS AND NETWORKS

JWES-AICHI PREFECTURE SCHOOLS (Japan)

82

103

MATTIA BROSS (Italy)

104

WELDED ART TO CREATE EMPLOYMENT AND IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT

FABIO FURLAN (Italy)

106

87

MICHELE SIRIGU (Italy)

108

MAHARSHI PANCHAL (India)

88

THANKS TO OUR COVID HEROES

110

5

WELDED ART PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION THE ARTISTIC SOUL OF WELDING

CAREER ARTISTS

Welded art has opened up many opportunities for a person to develop a career as a full time artist. Such artists are driven by passion, determination and careful planning, setting themselves targeted goals that are designed to develop a business over a period of time. At IIW, we have been very fortunate over the past three years in that a number of such artists have given up their time and effort so that we may use their exhibits to help us to showcase and promote and encourage the concept and benefits of welded art in our IIW Digital Collections. Besides the welded art helping such artists to maintain their income, a number of examples show how welded art can often assist people to overcome various physical and mental health problems.

7

HILARY CLARKE COLE (Canada)

Hilary Clark Cole is a Canadian sculptor, working mainly in welded steel, and in limited edition cast bronzes. Her one-of-a-kind metal sculptures can be very small or very large, rough or smooth, monochromatic or colourful. She often incorporates copper or brass. The sculptures can range in subject matter from a tiny sculpture of a flower, where the curve of the leaf makes one think it is real, to a 10” – 15”

bronze or steel figure that seems human in its detail and beauty, to the welded fantasy faces that command the wall, to a study of a crow, steely-natured, with blue-black torch coloured wings, to a life-size study of a Northern Ontario Bull Moose, chunks of weathered steel speaking of power and wild nature. Hilary is frequently asked about the source of her inspiration. She often cannot find a satisfactory way to explain where her ideas come from, because she thinks in metal pictures, not in words. A sculpture becomes fully formed, engineered and completed in her head; a complicated network of possibilities, just waiting to be resolved in the third dimension. These images in her artist’s brain come from the many layers of life experience, heritage, training, study, trial and error, emotional response, a desire to communicate, and a passionate love of metal All Hilary needs are time and materials to make the sculptural concepts real in the world, so that others can experience them, and hopefully understand. “The Artist’s Brain” is her deeply personal reply to the question “Where do you get your ideas?”

Contact info Website: www.hilaryclarkcole.com • E-mail: hcc@vianet.ca • Arts Organization Webpage: www.muskokaartsandcrafts.com

Exhibit “THE ARTIST’S BRAIN” This wall sculpture is a combination of several of Hilary’s techniques, using an oxy-acetylene torch, mild steel sheet and rod and copper. It is a hand-built process that allows her to achieve a delicate and eloquent form in what is usually considered an industrial material. The life-size head is the result of a slow, meticulous building of steel rod layers that she refers to as “drip welding”. The nest and branches are various sizes of copper-coated steel welding rod. The hatched egg is hammered copper sheet. Dimensions 24” high x 18” wide x 10” deep

8

HILARY CLARKE COLE, “THE ARTIST’S BRAIN”

9

LOLA CORRALES (Spain)

The desire to learn and her curiosity to discover new things have led Lola to the world of creativity, imagining shapes or colours where they are not, creating what does not exist and bringing it back to life. The materials which she uses are mostly recycled; irons, steels, wood, stone, glass, paints, various metals, etc., which come from scrapyards, old left overs and waste. Anything apparently useless can become useful

to the soul. One just has to watch and listen. They speak for themselves and take their own place in the right position. The satisfaction obtained is so big that you wish to transmit it, to let everyone benefit from this craft. Lola has applied it by teaching painting and artistic crafts classes, as an instructor and facilitator, in civic centers to motivate housewives, as well as in residences for retired people and the elderly. She has soon seen positive developments on a personal and mental level. Both individual and group therapy, give emotional stability and great satisfaction. A different vision of the world and life is created in fantasy and imagination, where there is no room for pessimism. Lola wouldn’t know, nor couldn’t, live without art.

Contact info E-mail: lolacorrales@gmail.com • Facebook: lolacorrales • Instagram: lcoag

Exhibit “LA SAGRADA FAMILIA” Lola has the honour of living very close to Barcelona and when she saw the "Temple of the Sagrada Familia" for the first time, she was impressed and had admiration for such a beautiful monument. It was designed by the architect Antonio Gaudí in 1882 and, to this day, it is still under construction. The work Lola presents, is entitled LA SAGRADA FAMILIA, and is not finished yet (great works never end), and there is always room for improvement. She humbly wanted to have something in her house that would remind her of La Sagrada Familia and could show it to people who have not been able to see it yet. She has used iron and steel materials, sheets of varying thicknesses and shapes, construction rods, screws, washers ..., all recycled material. The most commonly used techniques are electric arc welding, machining, and assembly. Dimensions 92 cm high x 42 cm wide

10

LOLA CORRALES, “LA SAGRADA FAMILIA”

11

ANN GILDNER (USA)

Although an artist for over 40 years, Ann Gildner began welding ten years ago and particularly likes to create large public and private art. Her Gildner Gallery Studio allows her to create large scale metal sculptures from 2 to 40 plus feet high in the welding school she teaches at, Industrial Arts Institute, Onaway, Michigan. Using metal as a sculpting tool has opened her creative ideas for them to live outside. “If I can draw it, I can make it with metal by heating, curving, twisting and best of all using molten metal as my building material for texture. I love metal because you take a flat piece of sheet metal and move it into an organic growing image”. Her range of public art includes 3D art pieces, relief sculptures, re-cycled repurposed artworks, mixed metal art as well as large outdoor sculptures. She particularly enjoys “Community-involved Works” with the collaborative sense of having a vision and carrying it through to realization bringing people together. She also guides communities to create their own “Installation art” which is site specific art designed to change your perspective about that space. Exhibit “HUMMINGBIRD AND COSMOS” This sculpture is a realistic image of a hummingbird and flower created in steel. Ann used Metal Inert Gas (MIG) and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding techniques to create this piece. As a sculptor, she uses her welding machine as a sculpting tool to create texture by adjusting the welding parameters to give the molten metal the consistency she needs. The TIG welding is mostly autogenous but some wire was used for the feathers because she wanted a very clean weld with very little filler metal used. When she works with animals and flowers, she designs them with her CAD program and transfers it to her CNC plasma machine where she can burn out a large quantity of the same size feathers, petals or fur. The hummingbird has 150 feathers in 5 shapes and sizes. Another advantage of working with a CAD program is that she can adjust the size of her sculptures easily. The finish is natural patina. Dimensions 6 ft. high x 3.5 ft. wide x 3.5ft. deep Contact info E-mail: gildnergallery@gmail.com

12

ANN GILDNER, “HUMMINGBIRD AND COSMOS”

13

NIDHISH GOPINATH (India)

Nidhish Gopinath is from Kottayam District of Kerala, a southern state of India. After completing his high school studies, he graduated with a degree in Fine Arts, specialising in sculpture (2014-2018). During his studies, he had the opportunity to develop the art through welding to make sculptures. He was inspired by the work of American Sculptor David Smith and devoted his work towards Femme Welding Sculptures. Presently, he is a Freelancer with his major amount of work involving arc welding. He has participated with his creations in three state exhibitions and also participated in the IIW International Congress (IC2020) in Mumbai in February 2020 and in the IIW Online Annual Assembly (AA2020) in July 2020.

Contact info E-mail: nidhishpgopinath@gmail.com • Mobile: +91 9656257734

Exhibit “THE SUICIDE DREAMER” The sculpture is related to some black magic, through which death also can be controlled. Suicide is a tragic death for everyone in any civilized society. A person gets suicidal when he/she loses their hope in life or when their dream gets shattered. Further, initiation of black magic in anyone’s life destroys the person financially, career wise, health wise, creates bad luck and dreams causing broken relationships in marriage or separation. When this black magic effect takes place, it is able to use the person’s energy and force to create a suicidal dream by controlling their mind completely. This black magic still exists in some tribal societies, and influences the people in those societies. This sculpture is based on how the impact of black magic can create a suicidal tendency in a person in their dream. The exhibit is one metre high made of scrap metal and took five days to make. Dimensions 1m high and lifesize

14

NIDHISH GOPINATH, “THE SUICIDE DREAMER”

15

RICARD MIRA (Spain)

Ricard Mira was born in 1952. He learned to weld while working at the Derbi motorcycle company, where later on he became a fitter in its Racing Department at a time when Derbi racers won the World Championship repeatedly. Creating welded art serves him as a complementary therapy for overcoming schizophrenia.

Although he also uses other materials, he makes most of his sculptures by recycling iron scrap from the metalworking industry at Martorelles (near Barcelona, Catalonia), where he lives and works. He often uses Corten steel too, especially for public sculptures, since it gives them an interesting finish. He was named a Master Sculptor by the Government of Catalonia in 2014 and is a member of ICRE (Catalan Institute for Research in Sculpture).

Contact info Website: www.ricardmira.com • Instagram: ricardmira

Exhibit “REBALANCING 2017” "Rebalancing 2017" is part of a private collection and featured in the 15th ICRE group exhibition at the Clarà Library in Barcelona (2019), as well as in La Pobla de Segur (2017). Ricard crafted this welded artwork in 2017 during a psychotic episode in schizophrenia. In fact he regained his mental balance by making it, hence its name. It is a life-size (35x55x30 cm) bust of one of his models, Mercè Tuxuera, who usually wears a bob haircut. This sculpture is a good example of the technique he likes best: cold forging, that is, cutting, bending, welding and polishing iron. Many people wonder whether the shiny skin and hair are made of stainless steel, but they are actually just polished Metal Active Gas (MAG)welded steel plates. The way this sculpture is built was well described by art historian Tania Alba with the following words: "The expressiveness of Ricard Mira's sculptures stems very much from his combination of fullness and emptiness". In this he follows the style of sculptor Pau Gargallo, a pioneer of iron sculptures.

Dimensions Life size bust

16

RICARD MIRA, “REBALANCING 2017”

17

LEILA NAZARI (Iran)

Leila Nazari is a product quality engineer at Mapna Turbine Manufacturing Company in Karaj, Iran. She qualified as a mechanical engineer in 2007 and in 2014 developed her creative art side by also becoming a sculptor. Now she sculpts in wood, stone, paste and metal. After seeing the number of scrapped parts after equipment overhauls at her company, she took up the challenge to show that nothing in her company is useless but she could create something beautiful out of ugliness. When she saw a lot of scrapped titanium blades, the idea of making a big fish with beautiful scales came to her mind. She designed a fish based on a mythical story and obtained the CEO’s approval to make it.

Contact info E-mail: l.nazari.2012@gmail.com • Instagram: Leila.nazari.ara

Exhibit “LIFE” According to an ancient Iranian legend, it is said that the tree of life is the cure for any disease. When Ormazd (the creator of the world) realized that the devil wanted to destroy this tree, he created heavenly fish to protect the roots of the tree of life. This art work is made in the style of recycled metal art. She collected many scrapped parts such as carbon steel square tubes and strips, stainless steel plates, washers, nuts, chains, fan blades, rings and ball bearings and started working with a professional team in the production department. They helped her with the welding and grinding so that the sculpture could be made in 14 days. The welding processes used were gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), metal inert/active gas (MIG/MAG) welding and manual metal arc welding. Welding of titanium parts with the carbon steel or stainless steel parts was required and except for this, the rest of the welding was quite straightforward. Dimensions 180cm high x 280cm long x 80cm deep

18

LEILA NAZARI, “LIFE”

19

DARKO OMCIKUS (Serbia)

Since 2015, Darko has been an assistant teacher for metal sculpture and casting of bronze and aluminium in the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade. After completing secondary school in 1989, he worked as a mechanic in a variety of industries and in 2006 started to study in the Faculty of Fine Arts, obtaining his BA in 2009 and MA in 2011. He has a range of welding skills across many different types of materials and during his travels and daily walks, he collects many discarded objects of both metals and non-metals for re-use in his art. He enjoys using the old metal scraps to make ship sculptures in particular thus giving new life to old, abandoned materials and giving them a new, longer, aesthetically pleasing life. The metals are put together by forging, brazing, welding with Metal Inert/Active Gas (MIG/MAG) welding and Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding.

Contact info E-mail: omcikusdarko@gmail.com

Exhibit “DANCING BRUSH” - “SPANISH GALLEY” Darko’s approach is that after correct cleaning and preparation of the materials and various objects which he has collected, he starts sketching on paper in three dimensions, his ideas of a sculpture. He uses rivets, welding, forging, screws or fasteners to join the different objects and materials. In the two exhibits shown, materials used included stainless steel, structural steel, wrought iron, zinc sheet and rusty steel objects. He used manual metal arc welding (MMAW) and Metal Inert Gas (MIG) welding. Dimensions

“Dancing Brush” 26.5cm x 18cm x12cm “Spanish Galley” 43cm x 26cm x13cm

20

DARKO OMCIKUS, “DANCING BRUSH” - “SPANISH GALLEY”

21

CARMELO ORAMAS (Germany)

Carmelo was born in 1952 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and since 1993 has been living in Munich. He worked in interior decoration and is a self-taught artist. The basis of his work is aluminium, and the form, sensitivity and movement come to light once the aluminium has been painted, cut out, filed down and formed and joined by welding. He was nominated for the “XI Art Contest” City of Tomelloso/Spain 2008 and the “Contest of Autumn no. 83 AEPE” in Madrid/Spain 2016. He participated in the “Exposition Innovative of Art CAR” in Essen/Germany 2016 and 2019, “Art Laren“ in Amsterdam/ Netherlands 2017, “Art Fair Hong-Kong“ in China 2017, “Art MUC“ in Munich/Germany 2018, “Victorios Art Gallery” in Fort-Lauderdale/Florida EEUU 2018, Messe Heim+Handwerk in Munich/Germany 2013 and 2014, “AFA” in Augsburg/Germany 2013 and Messe Handwerk+Design in Munich/Germany 2012. He also organised single exhibitions in Germany and Spain, amongst others in AEPE Madrid/Spain 2017, in UBO9 in Munich/Germany 2015 and in SLV Munich/Germany 2016. Furthermore he exhibited in Galeria Gaudi in Madrid/Spain 2018 and Gallery Thuillier in Paris/France 2019 and in “Orangerie München“ in Munich/Germany 2015 and 2019.

Contact info Website: www.carmelo-oramas.de • E-mail: rodriguez-lehle@t-online.de

Exhibit “KRAFT (POWER) ” This work presents the powerful fusion of different worlds, colours and humans. He created this exhibit using aluminium as a basis, giving it structure and highlights by filing and polishing the metal. On this basis he fixed the individual parts by gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) to show the power you need to get such a strong union. Dimensions 80 cm wide x 100 cm high

22

CARMELO ORAMAS, “KRAFT (POWER)”

23

MAGDALENA PAVLOVIC ’ (Serbia)

Magdalena Pavlovic ’ was born in 1989. She lives and works in Belgrade, Serbia. She completed her doctoral studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Arts in Belgrade. Since 2017, she has been working as an Assistant Professor in the sculpture department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Novi Sad. She is a Member of the Association of Fine Artists of Serbia and the Association of Fine Artists of Vojvodina. She has had several solo exhibitions and participated in many competitions and group exhibitions. She received three awards for sculpture, awarded by the municipality of Savski Venac in Belgrade: for sculptures in metal in 2013 and 2014, and one for a sculpture in wood in 2012. Contact info E-mail: magpavlovic@gmail.com • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/magdalenapavlovic656/ • Instagram https://www.instagram.com/magpavlovic/ Exhibit “ERUPTIVE FORMATIONS” Oxyacetylene welding is a process Magdalena has used in the creation of sculptures. This method of welding is especially pleasing to modeling, since the weld is soft enough that after joining the parts one can continue to model the sculpture. The work process allows a spontaneous influence in the possibility of exploring the material, from heating, cutting or adding mass to the joints and thus making an additional contribution to the relief and drawing of the form. Each stronger deformation of the material opens a new field of understanding the problems of working in this material, as well as the possibility to reach some new aesthetic values. The sculpture "Eruptive Formations" is one of a series of works on the topic of LANDSCAPE, made by the method of forged black sheet metal and oxyacetylene welding. Eruptive Formations bear their name from the core content identifications of materials, the process of form formation and the associations that create form. The first association with the nucleus, as a hot mass, is the process of melting metal. Each landscape is formed by the meeting of certain physical force and thus indicates the inseparability of nature and physical structure, spirituality and practice. Dimensions 95cm deep x 75cm wide x 220cm high

24

MAGDALENA PAVLOVIC ’ , “ERUPTIVE FORMATIONS”

25

LUIS PEREZ (Spain)

Once Luis Perez completed his sculpture studies in 2017 at the School Pau Gargallo de Badalona, his work focused mainly on steel and stone sculptures. Depending upon the work to be done, the steel pieces involved both using the traditional blacksmithing as well as modern welding techniques including plasma cutting. His welded pieces are both abstract and figurative, and have been welded mainly with manual metal arc electrodes or by Metal Inert/Active Gas (MIG/MAG) welding. The sculptures which he makes do not follow a specific style, and can go from rounded to rectangular shapes, but in the most figurative pieces he has been inspired by the techniques of the work of Pau Gargallo, Julio González and Ricard Mira with whom he has worked as an assistant.

Contact info E-mail: lupequi@gmail.com • Instagram: @lupequi @lupequimax

Exhibit “CHANDELIER” This individual piece made of 3mm steel plate, evokes elements of nature in tune with astronomy, inspired by Catalan modernism. It is like a tree that grows and transforms into a trunk and a crown represented by an “armillary” ring, seeking the earthly and astral connection. The piece is divided into two parts: The first, being the trunk and the foot of the chandelier, which starts from an irregular rectangular base that is undergoing a meandering transformation into curved lines to transmute to a triangular plane reaching 530 mm in height. A second, 300 mm diameter ring arranged on an inclined plane with respect to the central axis, seeks to complement the volume of the piece, to complete its spatial dimension. In the same ring, there are three supports to house the candles, arranged at different heights playing with the points of light. Manual metal arc welding with rutile electrodes with a soft arc to have a light penetration so as not to pierce the plate was used. The excess weld metal was polished with a sander to be able to leave the edges smooth, leaving a defined line. To finish, he used a copper oxide patina, the end result being a rough and warm texture with uneven earth colour. Dimensions 53 cm high x 30 cm wide

26

LUIS PEREZ, “CHANDELIER”

27

JOSEP PLANDIURA (Spain)

Josep Plandiura Vilacís was born in 1943 in Taradell, Barcelona. He is a self-educated sculptor. He works with iron and mainly with Corten steel. He collaborated with the renowned architect Frank Gerhy and the sculptor Anthony Caro. In 1988, he founded the International Modern Art Center La Rectoria in Sant Pere de Vilamajor. His designs have always been focused towards public sculpture and large size pieces with sculptures in churches, roundabouts and spaces of natural interest all around Catalonia and Spain. Nowadays he works in his atelier based in Parets del Vallès near Barcelona.

Contact info Website: http://plandiura.cat/ • E-mail: josep.plandiura@gmail.com

Exhibit “CAMPANAR” The materials used and the creation process of the 22m high Campanar sculpture located at El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona, Catalonia) are as follows.This monument is a bell tower consisting of three braided columns. The lower part was built with Corten S355 J2 W 5mm thick sheets shaped with a plate rolling machine. The bottom parts were reinforced with 1000 mm x 20 mm platen plates. These plates in the ground base have 10mmCorten steel supplements welded to the concrete base. In the upper part each column has inner reinforcing welded squares separated at 40-50 cmdistances. The inside of the sculpture is painted with grey antioxidant painting to remove condensation. Its surface is painted with two layers of Titanlux paint with a rusty steel colour, giving ease of cleaning and maintenance. Dimensions 22 m high x 1 m x 1 m

28

JOSEP PLANDIURA, “CAMPANAR”

29

KENDALL POLSTER (USA)

Kendall Polster started welding for fun when he was a research biologist after finishing at University of Georgia in 1990 where he had majored in zoology and microbiology. His brother, a certified welder, had a fabrication shop and taught him how to weld. In 1994, whilst in medical school, he took leave of absence to pursue his art full time and start his company WELD GUY. His hobby thus became his job and for the last 27 years he has made all sorts of sculpture and furniture pieces for a living. During the making of furniture and architectural elements, many small scrap pieces from sawing and shearing are created at the shop. Periodically Kendall makes various sculptures out of what many shops would just send to the scrap yard for recycling. His steel fish, sculptures and furniture sell in various galleries throughout the United States. Exhibit “SHOAL OF FISH” Kendall’s approach is to take a photograph of the fish, blow it up using a projector and trace it on paper. He then uses the paper template to draw / trace onto steel. For the six fish shown in the shoal, Nelson Kies, one of the young employees at the workshop, cut out the fins using a plasma cutter and welded all of the lines on the fins while Kendall metal inert gas (MIG) welded the bodies together. The fish range from 0.4 to 1.2 metres long. The fish include a yellow fin tuna, largemouth bass, blue gill, grouper, muskellunge and one generic fish. Kendall’s message to people is to use your creativity and have fun fabricating and welding! Dimensions 0.4m to 1.2m long Contact info Website: www.weldguy.com • E-mail: weldguy@weldguy.com

30

KENDALL POLSTER, “SHOAL OF FISH”

31

RYAN SCHMIDT (USA)

Ryan Schmidt is an American Artist from Arkansas sculpting in stainless steel since 2002. Designed to be reflective, his art captivates and entrances. Appearing as near line drawings occupying three- dimensional space, Schmidt’s sculptures are easy to enjoy with. His inspiration for creating his art springs from an idea that is captured in a sketch and is transformed during the fabrication until it reaches its final form. The

art penchant for curvilinear lines in triangular relationships are inspired by his early passions for Origami. Polished stainless steel, while labour intensive, ensures the reflective surface will withstand both external and internal elements to remain the mirror- finish as the day it was made. Schmidt’s creative process starts with a 2-D sketch from a blank canvas in his brain, and then is transferred to stainless steel sheet to be cut. Once the fabrication process is in motion, he push the limits of tension and twist in the form. Sometimes this changes quite a bit from the original concept and other forms may be added; thus, making for an organic composition as it continues to morph in the 3-D fabrication. The material used for sculptures is Type-316L Stainless Steel. The thickness of material is 10 and 11 gauge to minimize warps as he pushes those tensions.

Contact info Website: https://www.soulartinc.com • E-mail: rts@soulartinc.com Facebook: SoulArt Inc. Stainless Steel Sculptures • Twitter: @SoulArtinc • Instagram: soulartinc

Exhibit “WITH ABSTRACT CERTAINTY” comprising “RESTING DOVE” and “BREATH OF LIFE” The exhibit is curated in a way that allows the eye to sweep from artwork to imagination. The main concept of the creation is the reflection of the outside world on the artwork to demonstrate how moving contemporary abstraction can roam in providing a peaceful hiatus from the everyday. The sculptures were placed at a roundabout location in Ada, Michigan USA during pandemic last year. The placement is to provide a 360 degree view of the sculptures in different angles. In relation to the current world, most people were caught in the uncertainty. Artist, Ryan T. Schmidt is encouraging the viewer to engage in each piece through its atmospheric perspective, to reflect in the mirror of the sculpture that captures the outside world. His hope is to bring out the feeling of inspiration. The abstraction in the piece “Resting Dove” represents peace of the deepest kind. It soothes and quiets our worries or troubled thoughts, enabling us to find renewal in the silence. The dove’s roles as spirit messenger, maternal symbol and liaison, impart an inner peace that helps us to go about our lives calmly with purpose. The “Breath of Life” piece is literally sending the message to everyone through the implied motion of curves, smooth lines and rounds correlating to the flow of breathing. Dimensions “Resting Dove” 183 cm x 323 cm x 137 cm, “Breath of Life” 211 cm x 155 cm x 99 cm

32

RYAN SCHMIDT, “WITH ABSTRACT CERTAINTY” comprising “RESTING DOVE” and “BREATH OF LIFE”

33

NENAD STOJANOVSKI (Serbia)

Nenad Stojanovski was born on June 28th, 1966 in Belgrade (Serbia). In his twenties, he began to weld and even though life took him in another direction, he recently went back to it. He is passionate, dedicated and hardworking, but he believes that his biggest flaw is that he can sometimes be impulsive and stubborn. He always liked to paint, repair and work, but just in the last two years he has fully turned to creating art. He tries to spend most of his free time in nature, where he finds materials, and most importantly of all, his main source of inspiration. He doesn’t like moulds and templates, neither in an metaphorical or literal sense, which can be deduced by the fact that his welded art is based on feeling and impulse.

His current focus as an artist is on making large format animal sculptures, such as eagles, horses, bulls, and wolves as symbols of strength and power. As far as materials go, he uses wood, iron, flat bar, and 2.5 to 3.5 mm particle boards. He uses manual metal arc welding. Something which he found standing out in his work is combining wood and iron, as well as the rawness and realistic appearance of his sculptures. He believes his work speaks for itself.

Contact info E-mail: atelje.marika@gmail.com • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006296025952 • Instagram: @atelje.marika

Exhibit “’ODYSSEUS” This sculpture represents a life-size stallion. It was built out of 2,500 metal tiles, though the very shape of the tiles is unproportional and uneven. The size of the tiles range from 3x5-5x15 cm. Manual Metal Arc Welding was used. What is unique about the sculpture is the translated infatuation with horses as well as the darkness and the strength they carry. The sculpture was created during the COVID-19 Pandemic and the welding along with the dedication to the craft was an attempt to battle the difficult circumstances which we have found ourselves in and a reminder that we cannot and should not give up. Dimensions 3.0m long and 2.15m high Weight Approximately 200kg

34

NENAD STOJANOVSKI, “’ODYSSEUS”

35

MIKE VAN DAM (Australia)

Artist and Stainless Steel Welder Mike (Michael) Van Dam was born in New Zealand and lives in Queensland, Australia with his wife and two children and is a world-renowned stainless-steel sculptor. Mike is an award-winning and internationally recognized artist who has a strong background in creating iconic and important sculptures that have been placed all over the world and have attracted various prestigious artistic awards. Mike’s sculptures have been placed in central iconic locations such as Sydney Harbour, Hayman Island, Israel and Greece. Mike creates highly aesthetic artwork and has been mentioned as “one of the most innovative and eminent contemporary realist and hyper-realist international artists” by the Rarity Gallery, Mykonos, Greece.

Contact info E-mail: mikeyvan@bigpond.net.au • Facebook: Mike Van Dam Art • Instagram: mikevandam-art

Exhibit “A BIRD IN THE HAND” Delicate and intentional, the Bird in our Hand represents the dichotomy between unmatched human power and the fragility of our surrounding ecosystems. The bird rests gently in the open palm highlighting the profound responsibility bestowed upon humans and acknowledges the reality that preservation, environmental sustainability and development is in our hands. This concept of this sculpture captures the importance of the wetlands to the Australian environment. The wetlands act as natural flood mitigators and they also recycle nutrients into the soil, filter water and most importantly provide a habitat for a diverse range of wildlife. This sculpture reminds viewers that we need to preserve and protect this important environment and the future state of the environment and little creatures, such as native birds, are in our hands . This sculpture was constructed from 10mm 316 marine grade stainless steel chain and consists of 2,300 metres of chain with 48 links per metre and 4 welds per link. In total the sculpture is made up of 2,300 metres of chain with 442,000 welds and took approximately 2,100-man hours to complete. Dimensions 6m long x 3.5 m wide x 3.5 m high

36

MIKE VAN DAM, “A BIRD IN THE HAND”

37

WELDED ART PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION THE ARTISTIC SOUL OF WELDING

HOBBY ARTISTS

Welded art can become a very satisfying hobby. A hobby can be a regular activity that is done for enjoyment, typically during one’s leisure time. Examples in the IIW 2021 Digital Collection can be seen showcasing casual, serious and project based leisure across the range of categories. In this Category, eight artists are shown. Four show how professional welders have used their skills and creative abilities to produce exhibits “The Day to Day Life of a Welder” by Aleksi Angelov , “A Bulgarian Rose” by Dimo Atanasov , “Metallica” by Andrey Makhorin and “The Great ‘Metal’ Wave off Kanagawa” by Simon Richardson . Four exhibits show how people in non-welder roles such as in academia produce exhibits “Grogu from the Mandalorians” by Eric Harristhal,” Lady Covidia” by Ken McKen, “The Dragon” and “The Tank” by Charles Morrissette and “Atlas” by Laurent Rivory .

39

ALEKSI ANGELOV (Bulgaria)

Aleksi Angelov is a 30 year old Bulgarian welder who has taken up his welding skills as a professional welder to use for creating welded art. He has acquired welding qualifications in the Center for Professional Training at "PMU" AD - Bourgas where he obtained his certificates according to EN ISO 9606. The main methods he uses are Gas Tungsten

Arc Welding (GTAW) and Manual Metal Arc Welding (MMAW) thus practically covering a wide range of welding applications used in manufacturing. He has been working for more than 10 years in "PMU" AD – Bourgas and has been involved in very successful projects in Bulgaria on the territory of "Lukoil Neftohim Burgas" AD - Repair and reconstruction of Catalytic cracking and Catalytic reforming, expansion of Oil base "Rosenets", and in the plant of Air Liquide Bulgaria (Pirdop) - reconstruction and modernization of air separation plants KSA1 / KSA2. He has also worked in Germany for special gas transfer tasks. Aleksi is married with a little daughter.

Contact info Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100036017254493/

Exhibit “THE DAY TO DAY LIFE OF A WELDER” His art creations are mainly utilizing scrap and waste materials, giving them new life. The fantasy behind the scenes is unique as Aleksi is mainly encompassing the day-to-day life of a welder in his artistic works with some conventional metal pieces and objects giving the composition a whole new meaning. What draws attention to his ability, is what he can create with metal and surprise people. He mostly uses carbon steel and the finished work is paint sprayed to last longer. Dimensions Each exhibit is approximately 60 cm wide x 40 cm high

40

ALEKSI ANGELOV, “THE DAY TO DAY LIFE OF A WELDER”

41

DIMO ATANASOV (Bulgaria)

Dimo Atanasov is a skillful 26 years old Bulgarian welder with great imagination. He started his welding career six years ago in the "PMU" AD – Bourgas center for welding education where he obtained his welding qualifications in the following processes 111, 131 and 141 according to EN ISO 9606. As a welder he has been involved in many industrial projects in Bulgaria on sites such as LUKOIL Neftohim Burgas AD for the erection of a tank farm in the Sale and Supply Base, Plovdiv, the expansion of Oil base "Rosenets" and commissioning of the tank farm 4x 10 000m3 to secure fuel storage. He has also worked in Cofeli Fabricom on the installation of piping in a factory in the town of ArcelorMittal, Liege, Belgium.

As an apprentice, he also started to develop his creative side of welding and what greatly impresses people with his art work is that he finds beauty in almost all types of steel, whether carbon steel, stainless steel, any waste metal material or scrap. Dimo is also a great automobile fan and has put his welding skills into creating favourite symbols of his loved BMW car.

Contact info Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/100001589642466/

Exhibit “A BULGARIAN ROSE” In Dimo’s own words, he has made many real flower exhibits to honour all the wonderful ladies in his life. Roses are his favourite and he takes great pride in assembling the leaves and even the thorns. It is not that surprising that his garden is full of little art marvels. For the construction of the rose, Dimo started with the plasma cutting, then bending and finishing to the desired appearance including painting with primer and colour painting. The stem is made of smooth small diameter reinforcement bar and with the Metal Active Gas (MAG) welding torch he made spot welds to become like buds. The stem is slightly twisted to get some shape, rather than straight. The rose’s leaves are also cut by the plasma then scratches are made with a grinder to give a textured appearance and in some places little chamfers are created with the drill. The leaves are then bent and welded to the stem with the help of an oxy acetylene torch that produces different heating input, thus inducing different coloration in the final art piece. Dimo welds a nut at one end of the stem and the rose's colourful petals are connected to the stem with a bolt. At the end, everything is sprayed with clear gloss. Dimensions 40 cm tall x 20 cm wide

42

DIMO ATANASOV, “A BULGARIAN ROSE”

43

ERIC HARRISTHAL (USA)

Eric is a self taught Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welder and started experimenting with metal in 2014. His art consists of everything from sculptures of animals, people, and buildings, to functional art such as lamps, fire pits and shift knobs. He creates his art in his home garage in Tucson, Arizona. He has a completely unrelated full time job but creates metal art because it is something he loves to do. “Unique Metal Art” is the phrase he uses on his website, social media, and business cards. Whether he creates a completely original piece like a Slave Robot or a Dread Head, or a character you might recognize from a book or movie, everything he creates is by hand and there is no other piece just like it in the world.

Contact info E-mail: dospistolasmetalworks@hotmail.com

Exhibit “GROGU FROM THE MANDALORIANS” Eric’s art generally consists mainly of mild steel, stainless steel, bronze, brass, and copper. He collects much of his steel from his local salvage yard or junkyard. Some pieces of art require specialized or unique metals that must be purchased online or at a metal supply store. He chose to make this sculpture because of the popularity of Grogu from the Mandalorians in the Disney Star Wars movie series. Eric’s sculpture was created with a combination of stainless steel and mild steel. The parts forged, ground and welded consisted of an argon bottle cap, ball bearings, round stock and pipe caps. Grogu was Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welded and forged by hand with a hammer and forge. Dimensions 8 in wide x 8 in high x 4 in deep

44

ERIC HARRISTHAL, “GROGU FROM THE MANDALORIANS”

45

ANDREY MAKHORIN (Kazakhstan)

Andrey is from Atyrau, in the western part of Kazakhstan. He was born on February 19, 1981. He has been working in the KazTransOil company for more than 18 years.

Andrey likes drawing, music, fishing and sports. He began to be fond of welding at the age of 16, helping his uncle in the garage. Then he went to the welding college and graduated it with honours. Now he is a professional welder, and he is very proud of it. Andrey took part in many welding competitions such as "The best in the profession", “Arc Cup” and so on. He took 1st and 2nd places and got more than 20 winner certificates.

Contact info E-mail: djogurec77@gmail.com

Exhibit “METALLICA” Knowing how to draw and weld metal, Andrey began to combine them together. It turned out very well. He began to make various crafts from scrap metal and cinders from electrodes. He likes working with metal very much, making his ideas come true. It's very cool. Andrey believes that the welder simply has to be an artist, then the weld joint will be beautiful. Andrey made this welded artwork as gift to his friend who is a fan of the rock band Metallica. By pulling the welded hand, it moves forward and backward. It is made of scrap metal with a height of 300 mm and width of 70 mm. Dimensions 70 mm wide x 300 mm high

46

ANDREY MAKHORIN, “METALLICA”

47

KEN MCKEN (Canada)

As a Saskatchewan farm boy, Ken McKen has been welding since the age of 14 and he continues to share his passion for the industry as Chair of Trades of Northern Lakes College in Slave Lake, Alberta. Ken has always maintained an element of artistry throughout his career, unveiling a twist of nature and whimsical mystery in his commissions. Ken’s career has made many “footprints” across the nation and he has a strong passion to mentor our future generation in the welding industry. In his spare time, Ken enjoys using his artistic abilities to create unique expressions of metal art. Ken’s fondness of wildlife provides an exquisite foundation to many of his silhouettes and ornamental hand railing commissions. Ken’s family includes multiple self-proclaimed artists and he hopes the tradition continues. Exhibit “LADY COVIDIA” As legend goes, you may be one of the lucky ones to catch a glimpse of Mermaids swimming the shorelines during mysterious foggy evenings. But if you do, folklore says the Mermaid will turn to stone... such is the case with Lady Covidia, petrified in time with a perpetual smile- yet if you look closely, a lonely tear runs down her cheek, waiting for the return of her pod to free her from the curse to safely return to the depths of Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta. The majority of Lady Covidia was hand formed cold, using mild steel sheet metal. Scales of the tail are 16 gauge cut by CNC plasma placed one-by-one at a time. The torso is 16 gauge, arms are thin wall tubing, the head is hand formed over an anvil, and the hair is 1/8" submerged-arc solid wire... each strand curled and attached individually. A submersible pump adds a water fountain feature spilling from the clam shell she holds in her hands. Lady Covidia is covered with a heavy coat of primer paint and several coats of metal fleck "stone" paint. Signs of rusting will eventually show through, to give her a look of weathered time. Dimensions Life size Contact info E-mail: weldermcken@gmail.com

48

KEN MCKEN, “LADY COVIDIA”

49

CHARLES MORRISSETTE (Canada)

Charles Morrissette has been in the welding trade for the last ten years working for several contracting companies and has been making metal art for the last three years at home in his fathers shop. He is currently employed with the Canadian Armed Forces as a material technician and posted to CFB Borden, Ontario. He enjoys metal art as a hobby to make gifts for his family and friends when time permits.

Contact info Website: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bitsnbolts • E-mail: Charles.morrissette.cj@gmail.com

Exhibit “THE DRAGON” and “THE TANK” Both pieces were made using a Powermig 255 and Square wave TIG 200. All of the Parts were recycled from metal scrap and steel collected over the years. The “Dragon” is 12" tall and 25" long and was made using chainsaw blades tacked together and heated to bend into the shape of the body and tail. The head was made from a handle from a wood stove and several vegetable peelers. The wings were drawn up and cut by hand on autobody steel and detailed with fencing wire. The “Tank” is 21" long (with Cannon) 11" wide, 7" tall and weighs 35 Lbs. It was built using roll chains from a dirtbike and washers for the tracks and wheels.The rear fuel tank was a double door hinge used on a barn door.The cannon was a shaft from a gearbox taken off an old Machine Lathe. The turret was made from department store shelving racks and several odds and ends. Dimensions “Dragon” 12" tall and 25" long “Tank” is 21" long (with Cannon) 11" wide, 7" tall and weighs 35 Lbs

50