The aesthetic I wish to explore is functionalism; this is idea that a things pure value and beauty is derived from it’s use (or function). I may not agree directly with this aesthetics’ cut and dry approach to beauty but I do believe that things which are functional and beautiful are more valuable that one that are mutually exclusive.

I wish to make a hammer for my upcycle project out of scrap materials such as steel, wood and brass; the form of the tool will be solely defined by it’s functionality; this in it of itself would not make for a ‘beautiful’ hammer per say, so I would like to incorporate material manipulation techniques which both heighten the functional nature of the tool and it’s outward beauty.

I am interesting in picking up skills to bring this project to life, namely wood carving (such as checkering, scroll work, or stippling) and material deformation skills (such as riveting and cold working).

These are examples of cold worked metal finishes, one of which I would like to incorporate into the head of the hammer.

The textured surface of the wooden handle is something I wish to replicate on the hammer’s handle.

Sources:

http://www.mooseforge.com/Techniques/textures.html

https://www.simmonssportinggoods.com/buck-knives-r40000-fixed-7-4-wood-handle/

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/tools/hand-tools/hammers/76107-8-oz-delrin-faced-brass-hammer?item=88K2150

2 Comments. Leave new

  • This aesthetic is unique. I agree with you about art that is mutually exclusive to practicality or simply being visually appealing is not as valuable as an artifact that can be both. Will you be adorning the artifact with any unique metals or carving out any designs to make this hammer more unique or is this project mainly focused on learning new skills?

    Reply
    • Elvin Chateauvert
      February 8, 2023 1:11 pm

      I’m going to make this out of whatever material I can find. I’m not really interested in engraving the metal because of the time commitment but I will give it a shot on the handle.

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.