Peter Elgass, Editor

Metal Design International 2003


A Year Book of Hephaistos

Work and biographies of 9 outstanding European metal artists

231 Pages, B&W images, size 8-1/4 x 11-1/2 inches.
German with English translations.
REVIEW  by Jock Dempsey

MDI 2003 opens with a commentary by Peter Elgass about modern design pirates patenting the ideas of others. It may have lost something in the translation but I think he missed the point. Design piracy is a world wide problem and it seems to be a bigger problem in Europe than in the US if I understand Peter's commnetary. The purpose of books like this is that if artists and designers are open with their ideas and publish them it gives them precidence and proof that these are their ideas. Others may copy them but they will have a more difficult time claiming the ideas as their own.

pp 14-15

pp 50-51 Sacred (religious) Art

The character of this body of work is decidedly modern European. It celebrates the maleability of iron in both functional and purely artistic pieces.

pp 30-31

pp 122-123
Among the most original ideas applying a unique technique in iron is the work of Italian, Claudio Bottero. He creates beautiful bowls and sculptures with an unusual techiniqe of cutting patterns into plate then stretching and upsetting it. The cut surfaces appear to float on the material below holding their shape as the rest of the piece is formed. The result is an organic effect like reptile scales or hand fitted tiles.
Claudio Bottero Bowl step 1 : Click for Enlargment
Step 1. Slitting
Claudio Bottero Bowl step 2 : Click for Enlargment
Step 2. Upsetting
Claudio Bottero Bowl step 3 : Click for Enlargment
Step 3. Flattening
Claudio Bottero Bowl step 4 : Click for Enlargment
Step 4. Finishing


This may not be an original metalworking technique (few are), but I have never seen it, much less applied to iron. Regardless, Claudio applies it in a unique manner producing beautiful work.

Featured Artists : 2003 Jaroslav Kaspar, Czech Republic
Pavel Tasovsky, Czech Republic Poldi Habberman, Czech Republic
Hans Klasmeier, Germany Kleine Straße, Germany
Thomas Gustav Kenngott, Germany Oskar Hafen, Germany
Claudio Bottero, Italy Okavi Osara, Finland

Set One of a series published over the years. Available individually or as a set.

Published by:
Verlag Hephaistos
Germany


Distributed in North America by:
ArtisanIdeas.com

$44.00 USD
ISBN 3931951189


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