It was whilst experimenting with blacksmithing in his garden during lockdown that Blacksmith Bran Davies realised it was something he wanted to pursue. Bran describes his first creation - a makeshift anvil and hammer that he made from an old chunk of steel he’s found on a beach.
“I remember just falling in love with the process” Bran recalls, “it was forging 10mm square steel I picked up from a hardware shop - what I’d always seen as a robust and strong material was now being shaped and manipulated by hand.”
“To begin with I focussed on just swinging a hammer and having fun with the material, but I think the first recognisable ‘thing’ was a square taper on the end of a bar that ended up becoming a very rough and rudimentary hook.”
After finishing A-Levels, Bran went on to study a Artist Blacksmithing degree at Hereford College of Arts. The course taught him traditional blacksmithing processes and how to balance these with his own personal style and artistic intentions.
“Most of this work uses what would be considered traditional techniques, in particular I do like to use forged mechanical connections such as rivets, collars and wedges for the aesthetic and visual complexity they can give a piece.”
Grounded by these traditional processes and driven by experimentation, Bran’s practice thrives on exploring both old and new ways of working with metal.
“...as part of the material exploration and in the designing phase, considering and incorporating modern processes can lead to really interesting outcomes particularly in the contemporary sculptural work I enjoy. My practice will always be rooted in the traditional craft of blacksmithing but using the full array of tools and techniques that’s available is really what makes it exciting.”
Besides his work on architectural and product commissions, Bran’s main passion is sculptural work, where he currently draws a lot of his inspiration from decaying industrial locations.
“Designing and working in response to these sites allows for some really interesting conversations between the material and place. Within this area there is a lot of interesting literature and texts around how we view landscapes and the power of craft practices in creating meaningful responses to sites of industrial decline.”
Some of Bran’s current sculptural work is in response to old mining sites and he is considering starting a sculptural project only using raw materials and smelting and refining the iron and steel as part of the process. There would be a poeticism, Bran points out, in beginning with raw materials from the earth.
Blacksmithing is an ancient craft and dates back to the Iron Age in Britain. It was essential to local communities for the production of tools, horseshoes and weapons from medieval times, but declined during the Industrial Revolution as mass production and new machines took over.
Whilst today there are ‘production blacksmiths’ (running a smithy and producing repetitive items), many modern blacksmiths, such as Bran, focus more on using their skills to produce decorative and sculptural ironwork - blending traditional skills with new techniques.
“Certainly a common remark when talking about blacksmithing is “ahh, so you must shoe horses!” Definitely with contemporary artist blacksmithing, which is where I consider my practice sits, there’s often a large distinction in the style and intention behind my work. While a lot of the processes and forging tools are similar, the way in which I am applying them in contemporary work can be quite different.”
Heritage Crafts has deemed Blacksmithing ‘currently viable’. This means it is in a healthy state and has enough craftspeople to pass the skills onto the next generation. Bran is also optimistic about the outlook for contemporary forged work going forward. His hope for the craft is that it will continue to grow and evolve.
“Particular with technological advances like induction forge technologies there’s this new and versatile source of heat for forging that’s exciting in what it can offer but also in taking steps for greater sustainability. Blacksmithing as a craft can often be more sustainable compared to cheaply mass produced alternatives, due to the care, craftsmanship and resulting longevity of forged products.”
By balancing a respect for blacksmithing’s heritage with a desire to push its boundaries, Bran Davies shows that this ancient craft has a bright and exciting future ahead.
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