Andrew Welton

Andrew wants you to think about where iron comes from. After growing up in Pittsburgh steel country, Andrew spent a decade studying medieval iron spearheads in European museums. They gave talks and published papers about medieval blacksmiths, iron recycling, and the archaeology of gender. They’re fascinated by the differences between modern steel and the ancient iron alloys used before the Industrial Revolution.  Andrew’s art emphasizes the organic textures of premodern iron. Andrew smelts their own metal from charcoal and ore, using historical processes to create metal that lacks industrial steel’s regularity. Folded into the simple forms of everyday objects, this material’s sinuous, watery surface evokes the bogs, pools, and forests from which iron and charcoal traditionally came. Having recently returned to Pittsburgh, Andrew practices their craft surrounded by strip mine-ravaged forests and shuttered mills; they believe learning traditional crafts teaches us how to better navigate global industry’s impacts on the landscapes we inhabit.