BABA Books

New

Ironwork: Dynamic Details
By Dona Meilach
BABA member price £30
Non-member price £36

This is an interesting book that does what it says on the cover: close up photographs of the small details in modern forged ironwork.
The entire book is the usual Schiffer style coffee table picture book, with very little in explanation.
It is good to focus on the details of ironwork, to see parts that would not necessarily be noticed in a picture of the whole work.
What struck me most is the effort, sometimes humour, and thought that artist blacksmiths put into often quite small parts of the whole. There seems to be a prevalence for using heat and various other techniques to introduce colour into work, which shows well in these pictures.
The chapter that I enjoyed most shows close up images of joining techniques. The smiths featured are using traditional hot forging skills as a design feature; a skill that can set forge work apart from similar items made by less traditional methods.
This book would be a useful resource for those ‘looking for inspiration’ times.

Review by Maggie Price: Artist Blacksmith Magazine number 121

Back