Stephen Rook Artist Blacksmith


Verified
Rockwell End House Farm Hambleden, Henley-on-Thames RG9 6NF, United Kingdom
2 Rockwell Hill End Hambleden RG9 6NQ GB

My work centers on the making of commissioned work for individuals, when creating my projects I focus on the processes of hot forging steel and iron, taking inspiration from the natural world and then translating it into the language of Iron. Surface textures and details bring the forms to life as you pass through a gate or otherwise engage with a piece of sculpture through vision or touch.

Whilst my making philosophy is rooted in the use of traditional forging methods and processes I prefer to create from a contemporary viewpoint that is very much of today. I feel this enables my work to communicate the qualities of the craft that give so much freedom for creative expression and brings such life and energy to the work. These traditional methods and processes are very evident in the medieval ironwork that often inspires me, while the flowing forms and beautiful lines of Art Nouveau and the beauty of nature fire my imagination for new contemporary forms.

High quality workmanship with a passion for detail gives the work energy and integrity. Patience is a necessary quality for both the maker and the client alike; time-consuming design and creative processes are always at work, from the first sketch through to the last hammer blow. Each piece is unique; the soul-deadening mass manufacturing processes that charactorises consumerism is cast aside for the creation of the unique and uplifting.