M. Edelman Art

Mike Edelman's unique metalwork is made using innovative forging techniques as well as traditional methods of metal fabrication. The finished composition becomes a hand made functional sculpture that is a seamless blend of fine art and function.

Chainmaille Teapot

Stainless Steel Hand Woven Chain.

 

This was the first piece I ever sold for more than a few peanuts. My roots of metal work go back to when I was 14 years old in high school. I modified an old army coat into a sort of chainmaille making tool box. I put pockets in for rings, pliers, even bare coils so I could cut rings in between classes. I would “secretly” (im sure my teachers knew) weave rings all day in school under the desk or even inside the coat pockets, then go home at night and turn those woven sections in to bigger sections of complex projects. I always wanted to make something complicated and hard. By my senior year, most of my teachers realized they weren’t going to win the battle and as long as I was respectful, I just did my projects right on the desk.

 

This piece was made in 2003, my first year away from home in college. I would sit in the hallways of the art building at night, quietly weaving away. I submitted this piece to be published in “The Artful Teapot”, a book by Dona Meilach. She responded to my submission by saying, “This teapot looks great. But, your photography is awful. Awful. I can't use it, as much as I'd love to. However, The Kamm Family is interested in purchasing it. They have the largest Teapot Collection in the world”.

 

Just like that, I sold my first piece. It was such a good feeling. It made me feel real. And, I resolved to learn how to use a camera—no one was ever going to reject me based on my awful photo's again (they could reject the awful work, but I was gonna learn how to do a photo!).