Robert Berry, whose art background includes years of custom stainless steel fabrication, workshops and association memberships with the International Sculpture Society and the Kansas City Artist's Coalition, has a private studio in south metro Kansas City. Berry is formally trained in welding, but is constantly deviating from the industrial curriculum toward organic fabrication.
Shape and dimension are two identifiable factors in each of Berry's works. As a lifelong inventor and fabricator, he has taken the cold media of steel and transformed it into geometric, lifelike shapes. Drawing from the cubist form of Picasso and the abstract design of David Smith, Berry has developed a unique style of his own by blending industrial and biomorphic forms in compatible harmony. Berry combines surreal, yet contemporary design and precise craftsmanship to create unique pieces. In addition, he incorporates his knowledge of physics and engineering along with his zeal for invention to create, modify and perfect each design, all the while keeping the process spontaneous.
Using standard structural shapes, he transforms mild and stainless steel into industrial and organic themes. Stainless steel, an alloy of metals including chromium and nickel, is Berry's medium of choice for outdoor sculptor due to its longevity. From graphing designs on paper to welding sheets of metal in harmony, Berry believes all art is a message, a story, and a person's desire to make an idea, emotion or conviction known. Berry is drawn to the interplay between solid and void. The selection of natural forms, the assembly of the forms in relation to each other and the voids are characteristics of Berry's work that add dimension and elicit a response from the view. Berry's pieces range from 6" to over 32' and vary from abstract wall hangings to practical coffee tables in recognizable shapes.
Berry's sculptures begin with drawings of pleasing shapes. These shapes may come from nature, industry, or childhood memories. Fabrication begins with central shapes either found or cut from steel with a plasma cutter. If a piece is not cut precisely, it is saved for future use, as often the mistake is more valuable than the created shape. Once the shapes are cut, then some grinding is done. Assembly of the pieces is accomplished with an arc welder. Sometimes pieces go together by chance better than what is down on paper. Once the final sculpture is assembled, there is more grinding and smoothing. If mild steel is used for an outdoor sculpture, it is powder coated, a patina far superior to paint.
Due to the three-dimensional nature of most of Berry's art, it creates a confrontation between the sculpture and the viewer. Thus, the viewer is forced to make a judgement about the piece because it is right there. Berry believes his sculpture convey a message and evoke emotion.
The pleasure of welding and creating is hard to comprehend. The fusion of pieces with heat and gases is magical. The daily burns and dust are easily overlooked when one sees the results in final form.