Galvanized steel, 2005
7' H x 3.3' D x 4.6' W
Location: Van Leer/Tech Green North

Artist: Bret Price

Artist Statement:
Since 1979, I have been building heating chambers around large pieces of steel, applying concentrated, intense heat, then manipulating the material to create a sense of softness. When the heat is removed, these illusions of flexibility are frozen, and on one level, the sculpture becomes a documentation of those forces used in the process. It is my intent that these sculptures communicate a sense of continuance, as if each piece is a single frame taken from a film, appearing to be at rest before moving on.

This method of making art offers a number of creative options for me as a sculptor. The variables of heat intensity, size and shape of the raw material produce a wide range of results; from the quiet simplicity of a single pipe bend to the rhythmic complexity that emerges from folding a section of structural steel. A degree of unpredictability is always present, which tends to tease ones curiosity and lend energy.

Artist Website