Robert Crecelius

I have been working as a blacksmith for over twenty years. All of the pieces within this current body of work are created from steel. The raw material is forged at temperatures ranging from 1500 to 2000 degrees. The work is shaped by hammer and anvil in the traditional manner. Pieces are then wire brushed and treated with a clear rust resistant finish. The bronze accents are the result of a patina process that is done while hot.

In the case of the vessel pieces, these are combinations of forged and fabricated work. The main body of a larger vessel is cut, welded, ground, sanded and wire brushed. The result is an interesting juxtaposition of contemporary and traditional technique.

As an artist I am interested in craftsmanship and how the basic traditional techniques relate to the over all form of the completed piece. Attention to detail and clean simple designs, if I can accomplish this I feel as though I have been successful.

My studio is located eighty miles south of St. Louis along the St. Francois river valley, within the foot hills of the Ozarks; I employ no assistants, preferring to work alone in the solitude of my surroundings.