Out of the Fire: Metalworkers Along the Salish Sea

Book excerpt: A stunning art book featuring twenty-three west coast artists and craftspeople who work in metal as their primary medium. Out of the Fire: Metalworkers along the Salish Sea is a breathtaking celebration of a diverse group of contemporary artists and artisans, who explore the creative possibilities of an ancient medium. From sculptors to farriers, forgers to blacksmiths, jewellers to metalsmiths, and weapons makers to welders, the twenty-three people featured in this book reflect the wide range of talent, skill, and ingenuity that exists on Canada's southwest coast. Miran Elbakyan captures movement and whimsicality in his Surrealist-inspired sculptures. Nycki Samuels earned the moniker "Tough Tiny Welder" on the road to artistic freedom, as she fought her way through the male-dominated world of industrial metalwork. Ts'uts'umutl Luke Marston began making jewellery when he was still a teenager, honing the skills of his craft at the same time as he was learning about the imagery and oral narratives of the Coast Salish Peoples. Combining a love of technology, fashion, and the industrial arts, Bev Petow has the remarkable ability to transform cold, hard steel into delicate-looking dresses. With over one hundred spectacular colour and black-and-white photographs of the artists and their works, this book is a stunning behind-the-scenes look at those who choose fire as their tool and metal as their raw material.