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Art & Life with John Medwedeff

Today we’d like to introduce you to John Medwedeff.

John, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I am a sculptor, blacksmith, & designer. Since 1988 I have designed, forged and fabricated sculpture, architectural ironwork and monumental public art for clients and collectors throughout the U.S.

I grew up in Nashville, TN in a family that was always interested in the arts. I was fortunate to study art in my childhood with renowned art teacher Chris Tibbott. At fourteen I became fascinated with the idea of shaping metal with a hammer, and procured my first anvil at the Nashville Flea Market. In my mother’s suburban garage, I used a plumber’s torch, tin snips, and a claw hammer to fashion belt buckles out of copper pipe. (All of that should be on the “don’t try this at home” list, especially the claw hammer!) In my father’s dental office, I had access to equipment for metal casting, but was limited to making tooth-sized sculpture. I knew next to nothing about real metalworking, and just made it up as I went along. I was accepted at the then Memphis Academy of Art and after two years of intense fine arts instruction there, I became a blacksmithing apprentice to James Wallace at the Metal Museum in Memphis, TN, where finally learned to properly forge metal, prepare exhibitions, and be productive.

During Repair Days 1984 (an annual fundraiser during which dozens of independent and academic metalsmiths from across the country donate their time repairing items people bring to the Museum), Brent Kington from SIU Carbondale saw my work and offered me a scholarship to come to Illinois to finish college and go to graduate school.

Following grad school, I opened my studio, Medwedeff Forge & Design, and took commissions from architects, mainly from New York City. The work was primarily custom lighting, furniture, and other architectural metalwork. I also had residential commissions for individual clients in St. Louis and the Chicago suburbs. In 1992, I married Cynthia Roth, whom I had first met in Chris Tibbott’s art class 20 years earlier. While we were contemplating a return to Tennessee, I was awarded a public art commission by the Illinois Capital Development Board: A monumental, celebratory arch I made of forged and fabricated steel for the state fairgrounds in Springfield in 1998. This first opportunity to create public sculpture set me on the path that has become the core of my career.

During the course of that commission, we began to appreciate the resources and relationships we had right here. Despite our homesickness for Tennessee, we decided to expand the studio in Illinois. I had first opened the studio in a dilapidated Brown Shoe Company factory building, but needed more spacious and better working conditions to safely accommodate employees and larger, more complex projects. I purchased a large metal building that had been the “Mobile Equipment Garage” in a coal mine, then bought 5 acres in Murphysboro, IL, and relocated the building. The new studio with its 37-foot-tall ceiling, fitted with numerous cranes, allowed me to pull out all the stops. I have been designing and building a mix of interior furnishings, architectural metalwork, and monumental public art ever since.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a maker and builder. I have been an artist since childhood and started to work with metal when I was about 9 years old. Blacksmithing captured my attention when I was 19. In an instant, upon striking hot steel on the anvil for the first time, I realized the plastic forming of metal on a larger scale had potential as a means of making sculpture. On a gut level I knew I had found my calling and community.

As an artist blacksmith, the possibilities for my work are endless. My studio practice began with projects oriented towards functional pieces such as gates, railings, lighting, and furniture. Over time I found more and more opportunities to create sculpture for both private and municipal clients. I am comfortable working in a range of historical styles in the decorative arts and as a sculptor within my established, signature aesthetic that is based on natural phenomena, the visual language of forged iron, and my fascination with structures.

The really large sculptures are created by cutting sheets of steel or bronze into carefully shaped patterns, then forming them in plate rolls and presses to fit together with geometry that is both graceful and tremendously sturdy. I visualize my sculptures and many of my functional pieces as narratives of structure. There is often an interesting overlap between disciplines. While each project has a unique set of parameters and purposes, in general, my goal in all of my work is to create beautiful objects that inspire the imagination.

My functional pieces express my aesthetic and are an homage to the traditions and highest standards of the craft. Most of my sculptural work can be loosely described as abstract but I have become increasingly interested in representational imagery and expanding my use of materials beyond forged and fabricated steel or bronze.

I love to go hiking, back packing, and canoeing. I find inspiration in the things I see and experience. I hope that this energy and love for the outdoors comes across in the forms I create.

Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
Be persistent, buy good equipment, and stand behind your work.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
In and near Chicago, I have two monumental, bronze sculptural fountains that are public. One is titled Apex, and is located at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellen, IL. The other is titled Oasis and is located at Harper College in Palatine, IL. You can’t miss these works. They are front and center at both campuses.

I have also designed and built several residential projects (custom lighting, stair railings, etc.) for clients in the Chicagoland area.

To support my work, commission a sculpture, or perhaps a railing or other architectural metalwork for you home. Send me an email at jmedwedeff@aol.com or call the studio at 618.521.7429.

To learn more about my process of working and see some photos of a very cool, long-term project, check out: The Solomon Forest Garden: A Tale of Custom Ironwork, Collaboration, and Mules by John Medwedeff in the latest issue of the Anvil’s Ring, Summer 2018, starting on p. 32: https://abana.org/…/2…/02/AR-Vol-46-3-Summer-2018-May-10.pdf

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
The photo of the Town Center Park Bandshell at night is by Jim Gilbert
The photo credit fo the kite image : Jeanna Justice- Photographer
The title of the piece at the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital  is “Exuberance”.
Artist collaboration, John Medwedeff and Erika Strecker
The rest of the photos are uncredited or just by Medwedeff Forge & Design

Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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