7 Incredibly Beautiful Scrap Metal Sculptures and Their Artists

Check out these 7 amazing scrap metal sculptures from around the world.

| Jan 19, 2020 05:27 AM EST

Created: Jan 19, 2020 05:27 AM EST

What would you do with a pile of scrap metal? Weigh it in? Drop it off at a recycling center? How about grabbing a welding torch and turning into a piece of fine art?

That's exactly what these seven great artists decided to do. The products of their labor are, as you are about to find out, truly stunning.

What types of metal are metal sculptures made of?

Metal sculptures can be made from a wide variety of metals. But the most commonly used metal tends to be bronze (an alloy of copper and tin).

That being said, sculptures can be made from gold, silver, aluminum, copper, brass, lead, and iron. But, as you are about to discover, scrap metal is also another popular material to use for sculptures.

What is the most famous sculpture in the world?

There are many famous sculptures around the world from throughout the ages. You can probably think of a few off the top of your head, but some of the most notable examples include, but are not limited to:

The ecstasy of Saint Teresa (1652) – Gian Lorenzo Bernini
Pieta (1499) – Michelangelo
David (1440s) – Donatello
The Great Sphinx of Giza
Christ the Redeemer (1931) – Paul Landowski
Manneken Pis (1619) – Hieronymus Duquesnoy the Elder
The Thinker (1904) – Auguste Rodin
Venus de Milo – Alexandros of Antioch.

What are the 4 basic types of sculpture?

The artistic discipline of sculpturing is actually divided into two main classes. These are relief sculptures and sculptures in the round.

"Relief sculpture is a sculpture in which images are set against a flat background. A coin is a good example of relief sculpture: the inscription, the date, and the figure -- sometimes a portrait of a statesman -- are slightly raised above a flat surface. When the image is only slightly raised, as with the coin, the sculpture is called low relief or bas-relief. The ancient Egyptians sometimes carved figures into a flat surface. This type of carving is known as sunken relief. Statues that are almost three-dimensional but still attached to the background are regarded as high relief.

Sculpture in the round is [a] freestanding [piece], attached to no background. Most statues and portrait busts are carved in the round." - Scholastic.com.

Both of these types can be further subdivided into three methods of sculpting:

"Modeling is done with clay, wax, or some other soft, pliable material. The sculptor adds pieces of material and molds it to the desired shape.

Carving can be thought of as the opposite of modeling because instead of adding it involves removing material. With knife or chisel, the sculptor carves from a block of wood or stone until the form is made.

Joining, or constructing, was not widely practiced until the 20th century. In this method, the artist uses pieces of wood, metal, or plastic and joins them together into a construction. The airy, abstract kind of forms that are popular in modern times lend themselves to the joining system." - Scholastic.com.

What are some examples of creative metal sculptures?

So, without further ado, here are seven great examples of scrap metal sculptures from around the world. This list is far from exhaustive and is in no particular order.

1. Check out this cat made from scrap metal

metal sculptures igor — *Source: Igor Verniy*

This scrap metal cat sculpture is truly stunning. Created by a Russian artist called Igor Verniy, it is a very steampunk-inspired creation.

Each sculpture is articulated, and it almost looks as though it is alive.

Verniy likes to spend a lot of time studying his subjects before embarking on capturing them in metal-form. He does this to ensure that he captures their movements and "feel" just right.

Once he is happy, he has got the essence of his subject, Verniy then collects scrap pieces of metal ranging from old car parts to tableware to clock movements and anything else he can lay his hands on.

2. This life-size buffalo sculpture is amazing!

metal sculptures buffalo — *Source: John Lopez*

Created by John Lopez, this life-size scrap metal sculpture of a buffalo is incredible. Lopez lives and works in South Dakota, and his creations are made using recycled metals, including old farm equipment and machinery.

Lopez loves nothing more than recreating iconic American Western images and themes using his chosen medium. He has also created stunning sculptures of horses plowing fields and a Texas Longhorn in the past.

He has a long history of working with bronze, but after creating a scrap metal grave for his deceased auntie, he became enamored with using old bits of metal.

“My favorite part about these pieces is the texture,” Lopez explained in an interview. “I just start grabbin’ stuff from the pile and welding it, in and if you weld enough of the same thing on over and over it creates this really cool texture that I’ve never seen in these kinds of pieces before. And I think that’s what draws people in.”

3. This scrap-metal woman is breathtaking!

metal sculptures ectasy — *Source: Karen Cusolito*

Created by Karen Cusolito, this scrap metal sculpture of a woman needs to be seen to be believed. The piece, called "Ecstasy", is meant to capture the "emotion of passion and the posture of exaltation it can inspire."

"She is illuminated at dusk by a warm light that emanates from her hands and softly glows upon her shoulders, neck, and head that is thrown back in elation. Ecstasy was built in 2007 and first debuted on-stage at The Crucible's Fire Opera, then at Burning Man, 2007. Since then she traveled widely: Maker Faire, 2008, and Nocturnal, 2009.

Through 2011, Ecstasy was on exhibit in Hayes Valley, San Francisco, CA. She is now part of a private collection." - Karen Cusolito.

4. This scrap-metal Hulk sculpture is cool

metal sculptures the hulk — *Source: Ban Hun Lek/Bored Panda*

Believe it or not, but this Hulk sculpture is actually made from scrap metal. Created by the art studio Ban Hun Lek (aka Truepot Distribution), this piece is amazing as it actually managed to emulate a smooth organic texture of Hulk's body and face!

This 2.3m-tall sculpture is one of the studio's most famous pieces and was created by an artist known as Phairote. This studio has many other world-renowned pieces.

They love to recreate iconic characters from popular culture in metal, including the Xenomorph from the Alien franchise, The Predator, and even characters from the Star Wars franchise.

5. This Grasshopper is made from scrap metal and old bullets!

metal sculptures grasshopper — *Source: Arthrobots*

This incredibly beautiful grasshopper sculpture is made entirely from scrap metal and old bullets. Designed and created by Tom Hardwidge, this delicate piece is a real testament to the artist's skill at their craft.

Harwidge's studio, Arthrobots, is a great place to visit to see more of his amazing work. Based in Ironbridge, Shropshire (the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution) he has been creating these amazing pieces since 2010.

"Each Arthrobot starts its life as a series of sketches, some take their inspiration from nature, others from bits and pieces of metal and beads which form an unusual structure or fit together in an interesting way. After they have been planned out (very roughly) they start to take shape in my dining room where I have all of my tools and materials laid out to prevent any actual dining from taking place." - Tom Hardwidge.

6. These scrap metal Transformers are great

scrap metal sculptures robots — *Source: Scrap Metal Art Thailand/Bored Panda*

Scrap metal and Transformers sculptures are a match made in heaven. This Thai studio specializes in such projects.

Called Scrap Metal Art Thailand, they take old pieces of machinery and equipment and turn them into something quite remarkable. The studio also makes sculptures of other popular cultural icons like the Xenomorph, The Predator, The Terminator, and other generic massive robots.

7. This Turkish artist makes some amazing metal sculptures

metal sculptures horse — *Source: Cem Özkan/Ali Atmaca*

And lastly, but by no means least, is this amazing horse by a Turkish artist called Cem Özkan (Gem-Oz-Can). Made from nothing more than scrap metal, and the artist's bare hands (and some tools, of course), it truly is a thing of beauty.

His work is very much steampunk-inspired, with other creations including an astronaut and a sailing ship. He is based in Eskisehir (esk-e-cher-here) (near Turkey's capital city of Ankara), and his star has been on the rise over the last few years.

He created the horse during his third year at Anadolu University at the faculty of fine arts and sculpture.