BURDETT METALSMITHING

With a chemist for a father, I grew up fascinated by transformations in nature. Through the forging process elemental inorganic steel takes on some qualities of the organic. The pattern welded vessel series started off as an experiment to see how far one could stretch a block of layered steel before it began to de-laminate; so there has never been an ideal combination of metals that I have used in these pieces. As a metalsmith, I try to use the entire vocabulary of materials available to me to enhance the piece. My metal work has its foundations in both ferrous and non ferrous metals and has resulted in objects ranging from full scale architectural pieces to sculpture, to mechanical jewelry, to a range of Western/Japanese weapons. I enjoy the juxtaposition of old technique and new materials or processes. This relationship makes for pieces that take a new look at time-honored endeavors in metalsmithing. I often wonder what the world of metalsmithing would look like if the craftsmen of..