...an exploration of materials in the fire arts by:
Kelly R. Ludeking
Kelly Ludeking is the founder of and an artist at KRL Metals. He specializes in teaching and creating simple to complex bronze, aluminum and iron sculptures. Found object art is another passion of his; searching for rejected metal parts to weld together into some of his most famous pieces. KRL Metals is about manifesting collaborative and individual artistic visions while upcycling cast metals and found objects into beautiful sculpture.
"My art is all about recycling. Taking what is old and making it new, giving it a new life that is appreciated. I also like to take ideas from the past and try to bring them back with a new style that is still reminiscent of the origin."
Ludeking's thoughts are further examined in this poem written by his wife:
The Caste of Cast
An Artist Statement for
Kelly Ludeking
Cast
ironmongers
dance about me.
They are rabid
for fire to melt the
metal that makes
manifest their
sickness.
A village of graphite
war painted artists - silver suits
buttoned up to protect them from fire
fleshing in – travel far and wide to spy the orange
heat of liquid iron. They have gathered to honor
the call of belonging. The voice of Hephaistos summons
them to bless their fire-making and metal-transforming
ritual. To deny the query from this god is to forsake
their true inheritance. Molds of every
shape and size await the molten
metal to fill their voids.
The fire god smiles
when sublime liquid iron is
released from the furnace repurposed
into something beautiful, useful, permanent.
We stay - I stay - until the furnace trembles.
Cast ironmongers dance about me.
Alone in their iron tribe
Together in their
aloneness. The temple
of their creative
soulness.
by: Diane Ludeking
Opening reception for Fiery, Rollin', Blown, & Cast is the 7th of December from 6:00pm-10:00pm