Mandala

Using steel as a substrate for texture, form, and color, Madacsi works the metal using the traditional forging techniques of a blacksmith. When steel is heated, it can be manipulated in the same way as clay. Madacsi explores and pushes the plasticity of steel in this hot state, achieving a variety of layered textures and patterns. Although steel is usually thought of as an industrial material, Madacsi creates objects that reveal organic forms, drawing attention to our connection to this metal on a human level.

Madacsi begins each piece by making a multitude of individual elements, then intuitively arranging them until she has a composition that she finds interesting and beautiful. Once a piece carries these aesthetic qualities, she welds and rivets the elements together. Finally, she applies aerosol enamel paint and wax, then distresses the surface. Using pigment allows her to emphasize the many textures that evolve from forging.