subject: Meet The World's Top Contemporary Metal Artists [print this page] Because of material used, metal art is somewhat of a newcomer to the art world. It traces its origin in Russia, where artists started putting together pieces of metal to form a pleasing unified whole in what was called the Constructivist Movement. But the way metal art has crept into practically every facet of everyday life is amazing. Even celebrities, like Kobe Bryant, spruce up their multi-million dollar homes with trendy metal furniture and metal wall decor. The same holds true for a Prado Estates, Arizona mansion: wrought iron chandeliers and other metal furnishings were displayed next to gargoyle water spouts.
Modern sculpture has as its undisputed father in Auguste Rodin of The Thinker fame, perhaps one of the few sculptures in the world with instant recall. Bronze is probably the last thing that can convey human pathos, but Rodin was able to do it in The Thinker.
Maybe it is man's good fortune that not all artists of the period followed Rodin's direction. One such artist was an American named Alexander Calder (1898-1976). After he appeared in the art scene in the 1930s, the art world definitively discarded the art form espoused by Rodin and embraced Calder's with its emphasis on metal- the material and praxis of modern industry. The stark contrast of the work of Calder, George Rickey, Jean Tinguely, Le Parc, Piene, and Scott showed the world that this innovative art form was a pleasure to behold. Metal is heavy, but in the hands of these artists floats! It's lifeless, but once touched by these artists assumes life. Metal's dull and black, but transforms into exciting bursts of color. Calder's Flamingo, for instance, is a 16-meter, 50-ton vermilion leviathan which provides a pleasing contrast against the looming presence of staid buildings in the Federal Plaza in Chicago.
Today, metal art has gone mainstream. From gigantic stabiles that decorate public sites to quaint abstract metal mobiles that flutter in the wind, from metal wall sculptures to metal wall decorations that you can find at an unique wall art store, from [wine wall art|wine home decor|wine and grape decor|grapes and wine decor|grapes wall decor|grapes wall decor|wine decor] to large metal wall hangings, indeed, for everything that's metal wall art - the world owes a debt of gratitude to the following pioneers.
Alexander Calder (1898-1976), born in America. The foremost American proponent of the style.
George Rickey (1907-2002), an American artist who was inspired by David Smith and Alexander Calder. He began producing kinetic sculptures in the fifties, some of which weighed several tons but would move smallest burst of wind would hit them.
Jean Tinguely (1925-1991) - Swiss. He was an artist with a message, satirizing the world's overproduction of goods through his works, some of which were created only to self-destruct.
Julio Le Parc (1925- ) born in Argentina. One might describe Le Parc an artist whose art runs toward the supernatural.
Otto Piene (1928- ) born in Germany. There was a strong amount of light incorporated into Piene's kinetic sculptures. His study of light, movement, and space is evident in his technically-different work.
John Scott (1940-2007) African-American metal artist. Known for his African-Caribbean-New Orleans inspired kinetic sculptures, had some of his priceless artwork stolen in the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
