Art for you is?

For me, it is a way of living and a way of life. Art is the open book of the soul. What you give is what you get. Humility, creative passion and tenacity are essential.

What prompted you to work with steel?

By the mid 80s, I had already spent several years working with float glass. I realised that when glass breaks it cannot be welded, whereas steel is malleable, yet strong and can be reformed again and again. Seeing the metal work on Gaudi’s Casa Mila in Barcelona was a fire starter, much of this was created with Gaudi’s longstanding I draw with the material, live. It is the only way to get a living energy into the object. For me, this is the centreline of my endeavour. Planning and rehearsals are vital, but when it comes to the final performance (the object), it must be a live act to have the capacity to transmit spirit. Large or extremely large works are more difficult to infuse with this gestural energy. In the studio, we heat industrial scale sections of steel, twist and form the entire length in a manner that no machine or computer could match.

What kind of challenges does steel as a medium pose?

Large scale is a challenge as it requires engineering and equipment. Fortunately, larger steel corporations are excited by art made of the material. Thus, collaboration is vital. I also use steel to extend the scale of my glass sculpture.