John Haley III

John began his career as a blacksmith in 1993 after trying to “find his
voice” in various other mediums such as painting, drawing, video, music,
and photocopy art. A great admirer of the natural world, his work’s organic
qualities reflect this as well as his deep appreciation for all things Art
Nouveau. He associates his work process more with that of Jackson Pollock and free jazz musicians than with traditional blacksmithing; the majority of his work is improvised at the anvil and welding table. The process starts with forging tapers on round and square bar stock, then various shapes are formed. Once a sufficient amount of shapes have been generated they are welded together, usually with a vague idea of what is being created. After the piece has been assembled it then gets sandblasted and then patinated. Most pieces are then sealed with lacquer although some are left with a raw finish, letting nature play a role in the piece’s evolution.