David Tanych has been building objects

since his father gave him a saw, hammer,

nails and a block of wood - Age 10.
 

A veteran home and furniture builder, David has turned his interest in design and fabrication from the functional and practical to the imaginative and artistic. Interested in welding and the properties of metal, David attended two summer sessions in blacksmithing at the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, where he began to connect to a much different medium than wood. 

Intrigued and inspired by the strength and flexibility of steel, David started using it to construct functional objects such as tables, picture frames and garden pergolas. As he became more skilled, gaining more mastery over the metal, David began building huge steel outdoor sculptures. The results are fun and playful, instantly bringing the viewer back to a time when these items were more common. When complete, the pieces are acid etched, allowing them to rust, which adds another dimension to their unique charm. When seen from a distance, the huge objects materialize into view, bringing the observer along. When seen up close, the viewer immediately notices the meticulous attention to detail. 

These pieces are meant to be seen by the public in an outdoor environment, such as a park or a plaza. David designs his work with how they will be viewed in space foremost in his mind. He finds himself responding to the positive encouragement he receives from the public, inspiring him to create bigger and bolder experimentation with the properties of steel.