Scrap metal sculpture often has a bizarre, humorous, cutesy or folksy angle. Some artists keep their pieces small while others aim to create metal monuments to the gods. Elements common in scrap metal sculptures are soup cans, old metal siding, odd bits of rusted silverware, chains, springs, screws and tire rims. Artists may shine and polish the pieces, or they may choose to keep the pieces looking weathered and stained. Some artists sand down the rough edges or add color with enamel spray paint designed to weather the elements.
Many scrap metal sculptures are created to be useful objects. You can find scrap metal wall hangings, planters, garden art, mirrors, tables, desks, chairs and even sofas. Cabinets, shrines and niches are popular, especially with hammered tin details. Other possibilities include coat racks, umbrella stands, candlesticks, picture frames and lamps with funky shades. Smaller items such as scrap metal vases, wine racks, CD holders, bookends and clocks are ideal gifts.
Scrap metal sculptures is not purely a United States phenomenon. Sculptors in Zimbabwe raid the recycling bin to create metal birds. Ara Alekyan, from Armenia, is considered a maestro of junkyard art. In the meantime, painters in Mexico have long substituted slabs of tin for canvas when creating their votive paintings that are dedications to saints. A group of polio victims in Tanzania crafts scraps into boats, birds and animals.
Art lovers should never forget that the origins of scrap metal sculptures are items that are rusty, dirty or have chipped surfaces. Cutting yourself on the edge of a sculpture could result in an infection or tetanus. Sculptures should not be within the reach of children and should not be used to hold food items.
Tom Every, also known as Dr. Evermore, has painstakingly created an art environment that demonstrates the potential of scrap metal as a medium for sculpture. His Scrap Metal Park is populated by countless fantastical creatures, each one made of recycled, re-purposed metal bits. The centerpiece of the park is a massive Foreverton Machine, consisting of 320 tons of scrap metal, earning it the distinction of being the world's largest scrap metal sculpture. Dr. Evermore claims that he constructed the Foreverton Machine for the eventual purpose of traveling through outer space.