Metal

About

Metals can be cast, hammered into sheet, drawn into wire, welded and polished. The methods divide broadly into casting, where molten metal fills a mould, and working, where solid metal is shaped by force. Each leaves traces: casts show seams and finely recorded modelling, while hammered pieces carry facets and tool marks.

Metalwork has been among the most prestigious arts in many cultures, from the ritual bronzes of Shang China and the gold of ancient Peru to the inlaid brass of the Islamic world. Modern sculptors transformed it with industrial processes. Julio González and Pablo Picasso began making welded iron sculpture together in Paris around 1928–30, David Smith built open steel compositions in the United States from the 1930s, and Richard Stankiewicz welded scrap into witty figures in the 1950s. Designers such as Charlotte Perriand made metal furniture feel modern. Look for joins, patina and the marks of working.