A Look Inside Steel Ribbon.

Robert McWhirter /artist statement:

Creating art from found and salvaged materials can be a tedious task however the end result can prove to be extremely rewarding.

“Here is some background on what goes into the Steel Ribbon series.

The wood is 100% collected drift wood off the north Oregon Coast.  More specifically Fort Stevens State Park on the north side of the jetty.  The wood found here is unique in that not only does it drift in from the ocean on high tide, it also drifts in from upriver during outgoing tides, providing a wide range of woods in various stages of water travel.

The metal used in the sculptures is a hot rolled, mild steel flat bar used primarily by fabrication shops.  Most of the steel I use is salvaged scrap from local welding businesses, usually left over from railing or commercial sign projects.  The term hot rolled steel comes from the process of forming the molten steel into its final shape while it is glowing hot which is around 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.  This process is done exclusively by the steel manufacturing facility.  Mild steel refers to the elemental contents of the metal. While there are countless variations of elements used to produce steel (carbon, chromium, nickel, etc..) mild steel is the most common and widely used around the world.

These materials come together to form the Steel Ribbon series.  Some natural, some man made, all Northwest.”