Steel for Art: From Design to Installations

Browse By

Steel is emerging fast as a choice for building design equipment – a garnish for furniture and artworks. It has become a frequent choice among artists, designers and buyers. The limits of technology thus are being pushed to give body to artistic expressions. Fitted interiors too like sinks, curtain rods, art pieces are increasingly becoming tasteful choices among urban lifestyle as well as those who have a creative bent of mind.

Linus R. Adolfsson from the  Los Angeles-based Gallery Seomi mentions, “Steel is not commonly used in furniture design since it is heavy, lacks flexibility and appears uninviting and cold. Pergay was the first artist to really dig deep into steel. Her impact and touch on steel is beyond real to me and she will forever remain a role model and pioneer for the use of steel in furniture design.”

Armchairs and sofas made of steel with a touch of wood are trends now, after being presented in prestigious shows worldwide.

Steel is known for its high tensile strength and can be used for making structural frames, both in interiors and exteriors. Such frames have capacities to hold a lot of weight. Steel tile usage is in vogue these days in kitchens and also is being used in living rooms.

The alloy allows for easy moulding into classy furniture like sofas, chairs and tables. Dubai is a place where such steel usage is becoming rapidly prevalent. New Yorkers are on the way to this fashion by installation of stainless steel tubes and slides, a fun and exciting way to climb down from a higher to a lower floor!

Japan too is trying to make the best out of this amazing trend, gradually. Renowned artist Mattar Bin Lahej who has been using steel to create calligraphic sculptures had been working on a series that was supposed to be displayed at the Sharjah Islamic Museum.

“The sculpture consists of signs and symbols in a balanced vision and presents the history of Arabic calligraphy through the years to its contemporary form as 3D artwork,” he said..

Alloys have been known to attract designers who want to look for a challenging tingle to their sense of creativity. Adolfsson an artist says, “Its attraction lies in the possibility of overcoming its limitations and creating something unique.”

Designers are hence resorting to technology for making creativity come alive.

Xhixha who uses a 316 marine grade stainless steel, widely known for its resistance to corrosion, has the following to say:

“My technique of cold-working steel by folding it, turning it inside out and marking it became my signature style”

 “I don’t sculpt steel; I use it to sculpt light. To me the form of a sculpture becomes secondary and its capacity to reflect and illuminate takes prime place,” he adds.

He feels that steel adds a lot of reflective capacity to its surrounding too and that’s what perks up a consumer’s life.

Adolfsson thinks that laser-cutting technology is the single most contributor in the field og new age steel art design

source:gulfnews.com