Michael Kinghorn
an artist/blacksmith based in Wakefield, Quebec.He produces a wide range of decorative ironwork and sculpture for clients throughout the Outaouais, Ottawa, and Canada.
Background
“I got my start in sculpture in 1987, when I began making quirky found object sculptures from items collected at a landfill site along the shores of Lake Ontario. The “fill” is a combination of small objects—glass, broken car and machinery parts, stainless steel kitchen utensils, copper wire, weird pieces of rubber, plastic, and rounded bricks, stones and bones—all tumbled smooth and polished by the water. I assembled these items into sculptures using nuts and bolts, epoxies, wire, rivets and silicone. I exhibited and sold these sculptures primarily in Toronto.”
“By 1991, my interests had evolved to include metalworking. I began reading books on blacksmithing and soon purchased an anvil, hammer, and a set of torches as a makeshift forge. I immediately fell in love with the ability to shape metal hot, and could see the advantage this skill would add to my found object sculptures. After spending a year in Eastern Europe apprenticing with Lithuanian blacksmiths, I moved to Wakefield in 1994 and set up a blacksmith shop.”
Custom Ironwork
“As a craftsperson, I design and fabricate metalwork for both private and commercial clients. I build custom furniture, railings, lighting, fireplaces, and staircases in both classic and modern designs. I often use traditional blacksmithing techniques to create forged details such as spirals, leaves, or twists. I take pride in my work and fabricate cleanly welded custom creations that meet my customers’ needs.”
Artwork
“Since 1987, I have been exploring the use of found objects by recycling them into thought-provoking sculptural works. My early sculptures consisted of assembling objects that I collected from an old landfill site along the shore of Lake Ontario in Toronto. The objects inspired me to create people, animals, and reflections on environmental issues.”
“A decade after establishing my blacksmith shop, in 1995 in Wakefield, Quebec I began to explore the fusion of forged metal with recycled material. Working with geometric forms, I started combining found objects with layers of forged steel and cast copper or aluminium to create unique pieces that explore life in the 21st century.”
“Today I continue to push my boundaries further to create unique artworks that explore my metal shaping abilities and my ongoing interest in found objects.”
Products
“Using classic details and unique objects, such as railway spikes, I produce whimsical candleholders, coat hooks and other small decorative items for home and garden. My finishes vary from raw metal which will oxidize over time, clear coated with paint, or hot dipped in beeswax.”
Process
“The following galleries show the step-by-step development and fabrication of a few unique projects I created.”
1. Collapse and Overhaul
2. IridiumNext Satellite
3. The Deep
4. Creatura
Contact Me:
Mailing Address
Wakefield, Québec
J0X 3G0
Studio Address
Wakefield, Québec
J0X 3G0