Andrea Mulcahy

"I intend to create solidity and movement in space through sensual and dynamic lines made of steel."

Metal sculptor Andrea Waxman Mulcahy chooses to work in steel because it gives her the most immediate connection to her thoughts, and because the welding process allows her to quickly execute her ideas. She likes how the bent steel rods create a fluidity, allowing the viewer to forget that the structure is made from hard steel.

The artist creates her sculptures with steel rods, which she cuts with a bolt cutter. She shapes the metal by placing an end of the rod in a vise, bending it with her body strength. The pieces are cut to length, the ends are smoothed on a grinding wheel, and the pieces are placed and welded with a MIG welder. The sculptures are finished when they've been sandblasted and powder coated.

Mulcahy's background starts with a fine arts degree in textile design. She went on to get her bachelor's and master's degrees in art education from the University of Kansas. While teaching she worked in a variety of media until deciding on steel as her medium of choice. She now lives in Maine and works in her studio creating steel sculptures.