Applications of steel for ingenious and artistic creations.

Since about 3,800 years or so, Steel has played a significant role in civilization, throughout the years. Offering a wide variety of applications, right from the archaic weapons and tools, belonging to the ancient civilizations of Rome and India, to the modern architectural marvels and futuristic bridges of today, the propitious metal has been utilized in different sectors. It is a quintessential element of every industrial process and other sectors like food, infrastructure, art, automobiles, etc. Both the contemporary and modern artists have relied on steel since the historical steel relics, to the modern structures made of stainless steels.

            Many ancient steel artifacts, including the remarkable Damascus steel swords, are globally renowned for their exquisite accuracy of its blades. The age-old Buddhist structures made of steel are considered a work of art themselves, due to their innovative architectures and craftsmanship, constructed in the absence of today’s cutting-edge technologies. Steel, due to its malleability and ductility, is easily workable and moldable for the artist as a medium. Paired with the corrosion resistant stainless steel that ensures durability, it offers a variety of features for artists.

Here’s a brief of why Steel has stayed an artist’s dream material over the years:

            The ancient European and Roman civilizations relied on steel for its swords, home-made utensils, and tools. These artifacts are a benchmark for their exceptional quality and design, compared to other swords of their era. Contemporary artists of the 1900s had continued to expand steel’s boundaries as a medium of art. The course of modern art was changed with the realization of steel’s ability to be twisted, molded, and sculpted, to make three-dimensional abstract shapes, that hang in uncanny balances. Richard Sera, who is well known to be the ‘world’s greatest sculptor’, had molded sheet metal for his artworks since the 1960s.

               Some of the iconic modern sculptures and installations are made of steel, as the metal can be effectively welded, bended, melted and shaped. Steel’s uses range from the fashion industry’s innovative metallic fabrics, to the urban street-art sculptures. Modern artists have experimented with alloy steels, as a canvas to be painted on as well as a sculpting medium. Statues and abstract pieces can be finished with many different surface finishes and colour effects, while taking advantage of its anti-corrosion and weathering properties. These properties are not achieved while sculpting over stone, marble, or other materials.

            Various grades of steel offer different set of properties, that affect their strength, bendability, durability, etc. Lower grades are used for minimal or minute artworks, and higher grades are used for heavier weights like using in gardens or sculptures. Majority of the artists today, prefer the steel for its exquisite shine that resembles a mirror, that can be achieved by different types of polishing materials. From the ancient Iron Pillar of Delhi, to the Dublin Spire, steel has been used extensively for artworks and sculptures, till date. The advancements in the various steelmaking methods will open new avenues for artistic applications.

Agni Steels ensures that their product also encapsulates the same properties of the material so as to promote and allow artistic designs and structures for the futuristic engineers and visionaries.