Martin Debenham, a modern British sculptor, makes stainless steel wire sculptures that are influenced by imagination and nature. Working with a pliable material with limitless possibilities, the self-taught artist’s increasing collection of wire art contains delicate twists, bends, and skillful welding to create astounding creations.
Most of Debenham’s metal masterpieces are intended for outdoor exhibition and seem like three-dimensional line drawings. As they glisten in the sunshine when put in natural settings, they appear to invoke magical storylines. In one work, for example, a wire-sculpted mermaid rests on a rock by a lily pond, as if she’s thinking about going for a dip. Each strand of wire is moulded into curves that mimic the shape of a woman’s body before flowing into a lengthy mermaid tail.
A Golden Eagle looks to have been frozen in time while soaring through a garden in another, with hundreds of wire looped feathers and gleaming talons. The effect of the sculpture “hovering” was successfully generated by two glass plinths supporting the 22 lb (10 kg) sculpture. Other sculptures include “improvised” pieces that have grown into figurative and abstract forms on their own. These expressive figures, mounted on wooden supports, demonstrate the artist’s limitless inventiveness.
Martin Debenham, a modern British sculptor, makes stainless steel wire sculptures that are influenced by imagination and nature.
When each piece of wire sculpture is put in a natural setting, it not only glistens in the sunshine, but also conjures up magical stories.
Other sculptures include “improvised” pieces that have grown into figurative and abstract forms on their own.
Martin Debenham: Website | Art Parks profile