Artistic Plasma Cutting

Cruise around the art world for a while and you’ll soon discover a number of categories that metal art can fit into. In one instance, it can be sculpture. In another instance, it can be a functional part of architectural design (otherwise known as functional art). Some may even call jewelry making metal art. In fact, almost anything that involves casting, welding, or shaping metal into a work of admiration can be called metal art.

Casting is a form of metal art in which a metal artist makes art from a mold. After melting aluminum, bronze, steel, or a metal alloy in a furnace, an artist pours the metal into a prepared mold. After the metal has cooled, the artist separates the metal from the mold and proceeds to clean and sometimes, polish the metal. The end result is often a creative and beautiful piece of art.

Fabricated sculptures are the result of a process that’s similar to casting, however the heating process is less intense and instead of melting material down, artists weld pieces of metal together. You’ll often find that fabricated sculpture is more detailed than casting sculptures.

Metal junk art may or may not involve welding, and it’s the result of combining pieces of scrap metal into an aesthetic design.  

Interestingly, metal artists are far and few between for some pretty good reasons. Unlike with a painter, a metal artist needs more workspace, tools, and resources to create his or her works of art. A painter for example could suffice with using a spare bedroom as a studio. A metal artist however, needs an entire workshop separate from the home. A painter’s tools and materials not only cost less; they also take up much less room. A metal artist’s tools and materials on the other hand are more expensive and bulky -- requiring room for large plasma cutters or artistic metal plasma cutting equipment.

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