Hamish Mackie's Stainless Steel Sculptures January 25, 2025

I experimented with stainless steel casting about 15 years ago with my Tuna 2010. It looks fantastic. The sleek form of the sculpture really lends itself to the reflective quality of the material, especially when placed appropriately near water. But whether sited inside or outdoors, the stainless steel gives the sculpture a bright contemporary feel.

Simon Allison at Lockbund Foundry has always said to me, “you sculpt whatever you want and we will work out a way to cast it” (@LockbundSculptureFoundry). Over the years, we have developed a mutual respect and understanding. The symbiotic relationship I enjoy with Lockbund is absolutely key to my work as a sculptor.

In 2018, I asked Simon about casting some of my sculptures into stainless steel. The Tuna sculpture had been cast by a different foundry, as Lockbund were not set up at the time to do so. Simon and his foundry rose to the challenge which was no mean feet, as stainless steel melts at around 140 degrees centigrade. They built an induction tilt furnace and quickly learnt the technique which is very different from the lost wax method of casting bronze.

Ammonite Jurassic Cracked Stainless Steel 2018 was the first of my sculptures cast by Lockbund Foundry using the newly commissioned induction tilt furnace. That was followed by Ammonite Cretaceous Stainless Steel 2018 We were absolutely delighted with the results!

The highlights have been taken to a mirror-polished finish. They look so striking in both a country and urban environment, indoors and outside.

Since then, we haven’t looked back as a team. And other sculptures have lent themselves to being cast into stainless steel.

Turtles Stainless Steel – 2020 was originally commissioned by a client in Barbados. The sculpture of three life-size sea turtles looks exactly right cast into stainless steel. It has a fluid energy, a sense of movement and lightness that evokes these nimble creatures who are so at home in the ocean. The reflective finish of the stainless steel really enhances these qualities.

The next sculpture to be cast into stainless steel was Quahog Clam 2023. It was inspired by a quahog clam shell that I found while walking on the shore close to a client’s house in Maine. I’m really pleased with how well it came out. The sculpture mirrors itself very well and makes a really striking statement when viewed as a pair.

When I came to make Cowrie 2024, once again stainless steel felt like the right material to use. Since the earliest times, cowrie shells have been regarded as objects of value to many different cultures. With its labour-intensive hand-polished mirror finish, the cowrie’s prized status is brilliantly emphasised.

I am sure more sculptures will lend themselves well to stainless steel in the future. It is a material that I have very much enjoyed using, especially for its light-reflecting properties.

_____________________________

If you would like to discuss purchasing any of Hamish’s stainless steel sculptures, please use the form below to get in touch.

Making Stainless Steel Sculptures

Contact Hamish

First Name *

Last Name *

Phone Number *

Email Address *

Your Message *

I would like and consent to receive Hamish’s Newsletter

I would like to receive printed catalogues by post

Address 1 *

Address 2 *

City/Country *

ZIP/Post Code *

Country *

I consent to be contacted. For more information on how we protect your data and rights, please view our Privacy Policy.

Newsletter Sign Up

First Name *

Last Name *

Email Address *

I would like to receive printed catalogues by post

Address 1 *

Address 2 *

City/County *

ZIP/Post Code *

Country *

I consent to be contacted. For more information on how we protect your data and rights, please view our Privacy Policy.