#150mmchallenge @herefordanvils

design

outcomes

#150mmchallenge

Connection, process, joy, creativity and ingenuity in forged metal

A celebration of process, material, creativity and ingenuity in forged metal, the #150mmchallenge was originally conceived by Ambrose Burne as “a self-posed challenge to enable me to create a physical ‘calling card’, an object that communicated the potential of forging” (Finney, 2021).

As lecturer at Hereford College of Arts, home to the UK’s only Artist Blacksmithing degree course, Ambrose decided it was a great ‘warm-up’ challenge for students . He asked them to create something out of a small rectangular piece of steel, 150mm x 20mm x 20mm (5.9 x 0.79 x 0.79 inches).

Using social media to tap into wider communities is powerful, applied effectively it can bring together passionate individuals and shine a light on topical debate, cultural movements or in the case of #150mmchallenge the creative practice of Artist Blacksmithing.

I’ve been following along with the #150mmchallenge that @herefordanvils has been doing. I think it is a great exercise that can open up different ways of looking at the material. So I joined in for fun, I hope that is alright. Keep learning. ( Peter Braspenninx , USA, 2018) Instagram @phyreforge

The #150mmchallenge went viral ! The affordance of connectivity enabled us to share and critique with others and to develop communities of practice based on a collective passion for forged metal. The success of the #150mmchallenge is symptomatic of a rhizomatic model of education (Cormier, 2008), where outcomes are fluid and are ultimately shaped by the community.

We never know how our small activities will affect others through the invisible fabric of our connectedness. In this exquisitely connected world, it's never a question of 'critical mass.' It's always about critical connections. (Boggs, 1974, p.44)

The result, an extraordinary array of artworks which could be viewed online , this was the catalyst to invite all the participants to mail their #150mmchallenge artworks to Hereford . 240 metal objects from 19 countries including from Chile, USA, Russia, Ukraine and South Africa were sent, providing a fantastic illustration of how far the limits of one material can be stretched. This work formed a pop-up exhibition at Ferrous 19 .

One of the best exhibitions of contemporary ironwork we have seen in over 45 years of attending and curating such exhibitions internationally – especially in its appeal to the lay public through its variety, ingenuity, and unusually didactic quality: the repetitive transformation of a simple standard bar of this humble metal - iron - into a wild miscellany of imaginative, complex and beautiful – even startling – forms, with infinite possibilities (Richard Quinnell MBE, UK)

We continued to encourage makers to participate in the #150mmchallenge and curated 150 artworks from over 400 submissions to tour the US.

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One would not think that such an innocuous bit of steel would give rise to so much unfettered creativity, but the responses to the challenge have been nothing short of astonishing in their diversity. And humbling too, to find oneself part of a global community of such skill and creativity. Partaking in the #150mmchallenge offered not only an opportunity to step into the joyful space of creating simply for the sake of creating—a luxury one cannot always afford oneself—but also a space of connectedness with our fellow makers, so important anytime but perhaps especially now when we find our movements curtailed by the realties of COVID (Benjamin and Monica Kjellman-Chapin, Norway) Instagram @kjellmanchapinblacksiths

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Blacksmithing is a global community and the 150mm challenge is an inspired and inspiring way of bringing us all together, creating weird and wonderful work for all of us to enjoy and admire. As a professional smith, making my living from commissioned work, the #150mmchallenge provided a rare opportunity to indulge myself with both the design and craftsmanship of a piece made purely for the joy of creating ( Pete Hill , Scotland , UK) Instagram @rathopete