Andy Hopper AWCB Sculptural Blacksmith. Award Winning Artist.
Andy designs and creates High End Contemporary Forgework. His speciality is Hot Forging and Forming of Stainless Steel and Bronze. Sculptural and Architectural Design. He makes sculptural pieces and also works on a commission basis. Each design is totally unique. Winner of the highly prestigious TonyPandy Cup 2014 awarded by The Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths for the Stainless Steel and Bronze staircase handrail, ‘The River Flows’. The Globe Theatre Gates in London also won this Award in 1995.
Andy is an International Artist. He was assistant to Supreme Master Blacksmith Michael Roberts FWCB at Memphis Metal Museum, USA in April 2014. The conference was specifically focussed on the forging of non-ferrous materials. He also demonstrated Forging Bronze and gave a lecture on the design and manufacture of ‘The River Flows’.
Process fascinates me. The movement and manipulation of hot metal becomes poetry when approached correctly. I use ultramodern computer-based machines, heavyweight industrial machinery and 5000yr old forging techniques and processes to carry out the tasks efficiently with flow and rhythm. My training is traditionally rooted with a very modern approach to the work.nI put my heart and soul into my work.
My ongoing artistic concern is about the building blocks of creation. The physics of hot metal and of the bursting force of life itself.
All the secrets are there to be deciphered. Consonant and Vowel, Proportion. The language of form. Form creates a sonic resonance. Through extensive calm deep contemplative thought, then sketchbooks, then the drawing board, I decode.
The work then comes to life at the making stage in the forge. The Artworks should breathe the form with energetic life and vigour.
My mission statement is to create Artworks that are tactile and physically beautiful that will stand the test of time.
I am Passionately driven. I specialise in Hot-Forging and Forming processes to create High End Contemporary Design. Predominantly working in Steel, Stainless Steel and Bronze.
I take full advantage of all superior techniques. I implement these with ultramodern computer-based machines, heavyweight industrial machinery and 5000yr old forging techniques and processes to carry out the tasks efficiently with flow and rhythm.
