Propagation Project

Propagation Project is one of my oldest series of work. It demonstrates how the process of hammering can transform cold hard mild steel into something that looks soft, moving and organic. 

I often find myself in a meditative state when working on a repetitive task such as forging. My brain experiences emptiness - allowing me the time and opportunity to develop the work organically. I rarely have a preconceived design before assembling the thousands of steel components, instead I build up the sculpture, piece by piece and even repeat little accidents like a mutation within cells. As the piece of work grows in front of me, I feel as if I am helping it to emerge, rather than creating it.

My intention in creating this series was to begin focusing on smaller-scale sculpture, purely to explore the concept of growing forms. In 2000, I dedicated myself to hand-forging hundreds of mild steel components, meticulously welding them one by one to observe how the forms would emerge.

I treasure this period of my life, as the first ten pieces from this series opened up incredible opportunities. They allowed me to participate in prestigious events such as the Chelsea Craft Fair and gave me the confidence to submit images to galleries.