MetallDesign international. Hephaistos-Jahrbuch / MetallDesign international 2024

With Johann Reif and the metal designer brothers Robert and Stefan Gahr, contenders previously presented in this series (2006 and 2012) appear again in the 2024 yearbook. Their new works illustrate the development of designers in their vocation. It also shows that we do not lose sight of our many contenders in the course of 26 years - we continue to observe them. Conversely it means that with five new designer profiles, metalworkers with creative, innovative ideas keep on appearing and can be introduced. We once again found a wide variety of designers and metal artists in the international community for this yearbook, and hope that examining their works will provide plenty of inspiration and stimulation.Knifesmiths with their creations are represented in virtually all of the yearbooks. With Thomas Lampert from Switzerland, a knifemaker is once again featured in 2024 as well. However, the blacksmith from the mountain village of Guarda has further specialised in this segment: A request to produce a knife for the typically Swiss hard cheese Sbrinz opened up the wide world of kitchen knifes and utensils for him. But see for yourself...Markus Pollinger from Upper Bavaria went an entirely different way. Nothing in his career was left to chance. He consistently followed a strategy of turning away from mass-produced goods in favour of unique pieces and high quality. The gold and silversmith attended the Vocational School for Glass and Jewellery in Neugablonz and educated himself at art academies. He applies old techniques just as confidently as modern working methods. The brothers Stefan and Robert Gahr from Bischofshofen in Austria primarily offer "bright prospects". They were quasi born into working with metal products. Now they carry on their father Herbert's work with great success. The two are adept at imbuing the material with colour and life. They design everything from purely artistic works to mundane entrance gates - but always deliberately!On the other hand, we present the Israeli Gottlieb Zeevik as well as Johann Reif from Upper Bavaria. From a technical point of view, both of them tend towards down-to-earth metal design and have been working as blacksmiths for decades already. That being said, they both ensure that metal design techniques and knowledge are passed on to the next generation as well. Gottlieb teaches courses, just like his friend and mentor Uri Hofi, and Reif trains young metalworkers in various countries through his work in development assistance. The final two metal designers in this book have something in common as well: They work in countries that are somewhat outside the Central European point of view. Caleb Kullman in Santa Fe, USA, where he realises the full breadth of orders and requests from his customers, and György Nagy in Romania, a country with a great blacksmithing tradition that has received little attention in the international community of blacksmiths over the last few decades. This makes it all the more amazing that Nagy's work is highly geometric, schematic and modern. His works are sure to surprise you...