METALSMITH PORTFOLIO SELECTIONS: PRE-2013

1) HISTORIC REPRODUCTION : Forged maquette for the Yale University campus expansion in the style of Samuel Yellin– the most revered American blacksmith. The blueprints were provided for me to forge this 1:1 scale section as an aptitude test to be hired by a well know architectural metal company in New Jersey.

 

2) STYLE SPECIFIC :  Following the principles of the Arts & Crafts movement, this commission features steel, copper and oak candelabras for a church in St. Paul Minnesota.

 

3) GINKGO GRILL : Private commission for an ornamental security screen forged in steel and bronze. Designed in collaboration with Yust Architectural Services Inc, this project has been featured in two publications; Minneapolis Star Tribune and the book Great Houses of Summit Avenue.

 

4) DUB MODDERS :  By the mid-2010’s, the vaping movement was over saturated with mundane metal-tube devices called ‘mech mods.’ While the industry was focused on widespread appeal, my objective was to break into the market norm with a series of bespoke decorative mods.

I began a small operation called DubModders in 2014 and teamed up with people in the NYC / NJ area to refine and promote this new aesthetic direction. After a few years, larger vape companies took notice of this growing trend and began to offer more unique mod styles. By 2018, my Golden Nugget mod sleeve had such a following that it was cloned by manufacturers abroad and sold at 1/12 the cost. These are some of the most popular sleeves I designed and crafted;

 
 

5) STANDS FOR ANTIQUITIES :  A series of metal stands made to display and protect antiquities from around the world for museums and personal collectors. Each metal armature was carefully tailored to support, protect and showcase rare and often fragile artifacts. 

 

6) PRESENTATION DRAWINGS :  From hand sketches to computer renderings and photo composites, these selections were made for my clients to visualize the design of their custom commissioned projects.

 

7) HOW IT’S MADE : Video & printed tutorials

Produced for Piece / Process exhibit at Vine Arts Center– MPLS, MN 2009

This video shows the technique that blacksmiths call upsetting: using high heat and hammer to thicken the end of a metal bar.

It was filmed, edited and produced for a multi-media exhibition called Piece Process at the Vine Arts Center in Minneapolis. The exhibition’s theme was to reveal the effort involved during the making process– providing the audience with a deeper understanding of each piece in the gallery.

BELOW : Examples of a few charts and articles written to communicate various metalworking and blacksmithing techniques. These were published and distributed by The Guild of Metalsmiths in Minnesota.

 

8) BUSINESS VENTURES :

CHRIS CARBON llc– a customizable tool system for working hot glass, developed in conjunction with a professional glassblower to suit specific needs of the lamp-working industry. 

TERRAFeRMA STUDIO– abstract paintings made with raw metal powder and simple chemistry.

CHRIS RAND / Coppertop Forge– custom metalwork business offering design, fabrication, and installation services.