Spring Hammer-In April 22-24, 2022
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Our demonstrator for the Spring Hammer-In is Ellen Durkan from Wilmington, Delaware. In addition to her forge work, Ellen also teaches art at Delaware College of Art & Design. Her forge work at her shop, Iron Maiden Forge, runs from traditional functional ironwork to wearable “Forged Fashion” body wear art pieces. Ellen is a popular demonstrator and teacher and has a busy schedule leading forging workshops around the country.
Ellen’s demo in our shop will focus on isolating masses on the anvil, asymmetrical forms, cross peening to create volume, riveting, fitting up parts, and assembly, resulting in a piece to fit someone’s upper body. Design, designing and process, and how it relates to her work will also be discussed.
For more info and pics:
http://www.ellendurkan.com/about-me.html
Ellan Durkan Biography:
I am an artist blacksmith who creates forged fashion. My interest in fashion grew from my fascination with metal forming and forging. I combine art, blacksmithing and fashion.
I grew up in Wilmington Delaware, went to undergrad for art and then continued on to get my MFA in sculpture. I got into forging from the decorative and design sides of things instead of the functional and utilitarian option. My current “wearable series” started as stationary dress cages with complete with shoes; I would place nude women in them as a performance, and then remove them in front of the crowd. This has guided me to my current growing performance runway like series: Forged Fashion. The pieces I create challenge my craftsmanship and while posing dynamic psychological questions. Creating the pieces to be “wearable and adjustable “ adds a bit of a challenge . I feel a moment of accomplishment when I finish a piece but the real excitement is when I lace someone inside and the piece takes on new presence. I forge metal gates; I just put them on the human form.
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