THE ANVIL'S RING, Winter 2004

...My art explores the wonders and torments of life using the age-old craft of blacksmithing. Each piece is an exploratiion and discovery of this little-known art form. Because of its role in shaping the industrial revolution-almost inventing itself out of existence - blacksmithing has become a nearly extinct craft. In the exploratory realm of the artist, blacksmithing is reborn as a medium of expression. I transform iron, my primary medium, from its cold, static, raw condition into lyrical, rhythmic works. Metals defy their character and appear delicate and feather light in my sculptures. Elements of blown glass, bronze and wood are used to infuse warmth and color in the work. All my work is meticulously executed with a strong sense of formal design that, like a trellis in a garden, lends support to a more organic, biomorphic and expressive sensibility. My pieces exhibit a beauty and darkness reminiscent of nature, where growth, decay and ultimately birth exist in a continuous cycle where each stage overlaps and intertwines with the next. African, Japanese and Cycladic art, as well as the works of Brancusi, Modigliani and Smith have significatnly influenced me. My sculptures are a quest to express emotion with the most economical use of line and space...

James DeMartis is a metal sculptor and blacksmith living in East Hampton NY, serving New York City and the greater New York area, from Manhattan to Connecticut, New Jersey to Long Island.

James Demartis Metal Studio
214 Springs Fireplace Road
East Hampton, NY 11937