Creating Art through Welding
From the art of welding, to welding art.Have you ever noticed how often simple, or pedestrian, skills end up making their way into the refined world of art? The skills used to fashion artistic pottery descended directly from the ancient crafting of bowls and water jugs. The artistic woodworker who creates beautiful inlaid murals and dioramas is practicing techniques born in the ancient trade of carpentry. The skill of welding metal together has evolved into an art form as well.
Welding's Evolution into Art
Welding has always been considered an art form by those artisans practicing the skill, and even from the days of blacksmith forge welding, craftsmen have taken the opportunity afforded by working with softened metal to let their personal artistic flair peak out.. Schools where you can Learn Welding even classify it as an industrial art, and in the world of industrial application a welder's skill is judged as much by the appearance of his welds as their actual functionality. It only stands to reason then, that the industrial skill of welding would make its way into the recognized art world in the form of metal sculpture, and as the science of welding has improved and expanded, so has its use in the creation of art.
Welding In Art
The earliest uses of metal in art involved either attaching polished pieces of reflective metal to an object, or hammering a malleable metal into an object of art. With the development of the forge came the ability to permanently join two pieces of metal to one another, and welding was born. The use of welding in the creation of art did not really take off until after the invention of flammable gas welding, which made the process portable and much more controlled. Fast forward to today with the different types of stick and wire welders, allowing the joining of virtually any kind of metals, and you can see how welding found a home in the art world.
Welding As Art
Almost from its invention, the skill of welding has been employed in the creation of art, primarily as a method of attaching metal pieces together to form sculpture. Many people, however, do not realize the integral role welding can play in the creation of art, beyond simply joining two pieces of metal. The act of heating metal to its melting point changes the physical characteristics of the metal, to the point of altering its shape and color. Under the control of a skilled artisan, these "distortions" can be used to enhance the artistic beauty of the piece.
Learning Welding
If you're interested in learning welding, you should look for Welding technology courses in your area. These schools not only teach pipe welding and structural welding but also often offer welding inspection courses. See what's available near you!
