Blacksmithing has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last
twenty five years. This study examines the changes and the context
within which they have taken place. The effects upon the products of
the blacksmith are considered through empirical research and
practical work. The working methods and philosophies of blacksmiths
representative of a continuity of traditions and innovatory practice
are investigated through interviews and other approaches.
From its origins as a rural and industrial craft, blacksmithing has
emerged in the form of art-blacksmithing. Institutional and
government intervention, new technologies and markets provide the
context in which the ideologies and practices are examined.
It is argued that these new blacksmiths are selfconscious designer-makers
who are technically innovative, and commercially aware,
operating successfully between and within the cultural and
commercial arenas. In combining practical and decorative
functionalism, and producing site-specific art work at a competitive
price, artist blacksmiths successfully inhabit the worlds of art,
industry, trade and craft, often simultaneously