Isaac Arms

"Like many pieces of furniture, my steel objects begin their life in a two-dimensional realm. I cut, grind, and weld flat pieces of steel together--transforming what was once a collection of two-dimensional shapes into an object rich with substance, depth, and volume. For me, calculating, observing, and participating in this metamorphic progression is the most rewarding aspect of the creative process."

Isaac Arms enjoys taking a raw material such as sheet steel and manipulating it into a highly crafted, functional object. In addition to steel, Arms uses wooden elements in his seating pieces to soften the interface between the user and the object. The warmth of the wood complements the patinated steel and offers a tactile surface that accommodates the human touch.

Working with three-dimensional software, Arms turns rough drawings from his sketchbook into digital models on a computer screen. Exploding these digital renderings into flat, two-dimensional shapes--which are then cut out using an automated laser system--Isaac is able to generate his furniture objects quickly and predictably. Much of the guesswork and fitting of complex shapes is calculated by the computer, freeing the artist to focus on the creative elements of his designs, as well as the craft involved in the fabrication of his works. Once welded, his pieces receive a wide range of surface treatments ranging from natural patinas to baked-on pigments through a powder-coating process.