WILLIAM HICKMAN
ARTIST STATEMENT

My work is welded steel. I create masks, animals, and people from 20 gauge cold rolled sheet steel. My approach is somewhat crude. Metal pieces are torch cut and shaped by hammering, bending, and rolling.

These parts are then gas welded together into forms, each with unique characteristics, resulting from the heat and hand work. I often use scrap objects such as saw blades, barbed wire, and nails to further detail my work.

The painting process is equally important. The piece is primed to inhibit rusting, and paint is applied in layers to achieve rich colors and built up textures. I use a water based automotive paint so the work can be used indoors or in sheltered outdoor spaces. I also use a jewelers grinder to add detail to my work.

I am a self-taught artist who learned to weld in high school, and have been making steel sculpture for over 30 years.

Materials: 20 gauge cold rolled sheet steel, found scrap metal

Techniques and Processes: sheet metal fabrication; oxy acetylene welding; oil based primer; automotive primer; hand-painted water based automotive finish.

Read Artist's Resume...

Bill Hickman
405 Morrison Ave.
Raleigh, NC  27608
(919) 839-6020