Introduction

Situated in  Modbury, in Devon, is the studio of renowned Master Blacksmith and Designer, Richard Bent, holder of the Silver Medal from the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, three times National Champion Blacksmith and Fellow of the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths (FWCB).

Undertaking private and public commissions for functional art and pure sculpture, the aim is to work towards creating original one-off pieces, combining the traditional craft of Blacksmithing, which includes hot working materials, including iron, steel, bronze and copper, with an open mind to design and production.  Richard is one of the motivators within Blacksmithing who have brought about what is best described as : 'The Twenty First Century Renaissance', bringing art and craft closer together, linking history to the future.

The  immediate source of inspiration of this renaissance is the Natuaral World, where the engineering techniques apparent in natural forms are there for all to see.  This has led to a style being developed where nature is caricatured, rather than copied.  Inspiration has also been derived from the methods employed by acknowledged geniuses from the world of Art and Architecture such as Antonio Gaudi, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Laurence Whistler, Frank Lloyd-Wright, Hector Guimard, Dame Barbara Hepworth to name but a few who have incorporated natural forms into their work.