Andrew David Meekison

Sculpture has been my passion for the last thirty years. I started welding metal in a home studio when I was sixteen. Later, by chance, I was exposed to working with metal and subsequently became involved with metal sculpture. Years later I still maintain a very strong commitment to sculpture.

I start each sculpture by bending several 10-12 foot-long pieces of metal creating a variety of angles. For tubing, I use an industrial pipe bender to form s-curves with pre-bent metal welded vertically onto a metal base similar to a flagpole. I bend the pieces of metal inwards and upwards using a rosebud heating tip, similar to braiding. In some cases, I add metal squares and circles to the sculpture, all of which is improvised as I go. The way I finish each piece is still evolving. In the past, I used spray-paint or powder-coating. More recently, I have been using the natural rusting process inherent to metal to bring out its true properties. I start by grinding the overall surface of the sculpture and then use an industrial spray gun filled with hot water and lemon juice, vinegar and salt, soaking the surface of the metal. This process speeds up the rusting time and bleaches the metal naturally due to the lemon juice. In some pieces,...

2012 Enrolled in Post-Graduate Diploma, Chelsea College of Art & Design, London, UK
1998 Welding, Level C Foundation, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Vancouver, BC
1995-1997 Master of Fine Arts (Experimental Painting), New York School of Visual Arts, NY, NY
1990-1994 Bachelor of Fine Arts (Experimental Arts), Ontario College of Art & Design, Toronto, ON
1994 OCAD Exchange Program, Florence, IT
1986-1989 Fine Arts, York University, North York, ON
1985-1986 Toronto School of Fine Arts, Toronto, ON