When Canberra-based Artist, Anna Eggert began sculpting with stainless steel wire mesh two years ago she tried every tool to model the material with little success. 

Almost giving up on completing her installation, Eggert reached for a stone and began attacking the 316 mesh in frustration .... with extraordinary results.

The primitive stone became the perfect tool for modelling the wire mesh into soft folds to resemble drapery.

This modelling skill exploits the material to create smooth flowing lines of a garment pressed against a feminine body. It is an effect that effectively breathes life into material to create the

Tamarama Beach or as local Sydneysiders call it 'Glamarama Beach', is well known as the place for beautiful people to be seen and for the rest of us to dream.

Artist, Graham Chalcroft set out to distort self-image in the name of fun by capitalising on the beach's former fairground history to design and fabricate a sculpture - 'Bathing Box: the impossible change room of shattered dreams'.

The stainless steel sculpture was a crowd favourite at the 'Sculpture by the Sea' exhibition held in November 2003 from Bondi Beach to Tamarama Beach in Sydney NSW.

The sculpture's design aesthetic

"Windhover" is a dramatic stainless steel sculpture created by the late Lenton Parr, located on the eastern foreshore of Port Phillip Bay in Sandringham, Melbourne.

Unveiled in December 2001, the sculpture's vertical lines and arcs are evocative of the yachts often seen sailing out on the Bay.

However, two and a half years of zero maintenance and exposure to salt spray from the bay have taken their toll, turning the surface of the stainless steel a blotchy brown.

Called tea staining, it's caused by deposition of salt on the surface which is then trapped in the crevices of the brushed

Posted 31 January 2005

Sydney's New Year's Eve has always been celebrated in spectacular style and this year's event shined with the inclusion of a giant glitter ball featuring stainless steel.

Hanging from the Sydney Harbour Bridge was 'Fanfare', a five storey-high spherical structure covered in 354 stainless steel pinwheels that spin as the ball rotates.

The sculpture, designed by New Zealand artist Neil Dawson, is Sydney's first three-dimensional bridge effect in the event's history.

ASSDA major sponsor, Sandvik Australia Pty Ltd and ASSDA member, Stainless Sections supplied 90 sheets of 10' x 4' x 1mm or approximately 2.7 tonnes

The Australian War Memorial in Hyde Park Corner, London stands as a symbol of freedom and an enduring spirit of strength.

To commemorate the men and women who fought and died for Australia alongside Britons in the two World Wars, Australian architectural firm Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and artist Janet Laurence designed the Memorial to reflect the sweep of the Australian landscape.

The result was a highly durable structure featuring a long, curved wave wall constructed out of West Australian green granite and supported by grade 316L stainless steel.

ASSDA Major Sponsor, Atlas Specialty Metals, and ASSDA members, M & S

Posted 1 July 2005

These extraordinary sculptures shine with life when fashioned from stainless steel, demonstrating the diversity and beauty of the material.

When South Australian developer, John Culshaw of Pentroth Pty Ltd proposed the design for the Majestic Roof Garden Hotel in Adelaide, the original proposal was for plain vertical bars for the car park grille of the Bent Street facade

Instead of surrendering to drab, pre-fab vertical bar grille designs, the developer actively sought a stylish alternative to the car park status quo. He commissioned artists Sue Rodwell and Trevor Rodwell to create ‘Strata’, a stainless steel grille design that aesthetically showcases the hotel building and provides a ‘majestic streetscape’ experience for Bent Street pedestrians.

The artists’ intention was to excise

Artisans of Fabrication

Traditionally artisans of yesteryears searched for the right stone or timber and personally hand carved their works of art. However, modern artists and sculptors now work collaboratively to create sculptures using a wider range of materials including stainless steel

Installation artist, Marion Borgelt is a modern artist who in early 2005 completed the most significant work in her 25 year career. However, this is no public installation.

Located high on the 32nd floor of the JP Morgan Chase building overlooking Circular Quay, 'Time and Tide (wait for no man)' features 16 stainless steel spheres resting on an

Unveiled just three days from the start of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, the 10 sculptures are a tribute to multiculturalism.

Each of 'The Travellers' figures represents a period from our Indigenous and immigrant histories (as defined by historian Dr James Jupp) and were designed by Lebanese Artist, Nadim Karam of Atelier Hapsitus.

'Gayip - The Aboriginal Period', the first sculpture, is stationed permanently on the river bank to depict the Indigenous

Northern Territorians know their barramundi, which is why ASSDA Accredited Fabricator Northern Stainless had to get it absolutely right when they reeled in the contract to design and fabricate this 1030mm specimen.

The silver fish has a mythical reputation in the NT, not least because of its shimmering, silver appearance.

Northern Stainless operations manager Darren Colbert said they had no hesitation in saying they could get the job done to their client's satisfaction, because of their ability to create the barra's mesmerising shimmer in stainless steel.

We knew stainless was the right material for the job because we needed the

Internationally renowned, Yackandandah based sculptor Benjamin Gilbert was commissioned to create a series of sculptures for Melbourne’s Commonwealth Games.  Extending six metres in the air, the exhibits laid testament to three different stages of a pole–volter whilst displaying the versatility and artistic merit of stainless steel.

Benjamin used grade 304 stainless steel, supplied by ASSDA major sponsor Atlas Specialty Metals in Wadanga.  He has worked with stainless steel for 10 years and believes it is cost effective and cheaper to use than other materials. Also, the added ability of using off cuts in his work suited Benjamin’s ‘green’ focus.

“As

Longevity won’t be an issue with the latest version of this sculpture. Cherry Blossom first appeared as an ice sculpture - complete with spinning cogs - in the 2008 Russian Ice Cup.

After winning the Mayor’s prize its creator, Melbourne-based artist Benjamin Gilbert, constructed a stainless steel version for Bondi’s “Sculpture by the Sea” exhibition.

ASSDA Member Atlas Steels sponsored the project, providing 316 stainless to suit the coastal environment.

Mr Gilbert specified stainless steel for its neutral colour, polishing the surface with stainless wire brushes to allow salts to build up. 

“I don’t really like shiny stainless finishes. A

The grand scale of Rings of Saturn at Melbourne’s Heide Museum of Modern Art takes on even more significance when you learn about the artist.

Renowned Australian sculptor Inge King AM was born in Germany in 1918, moving to Australia in 1951 and forging her career despite a culturally conservative landscape at the time.

The 89-year-old artist created the 400cm x 600cm x 500cm Rings of Saturn in 2005-2006 as part of her Celestial Series, using stainless steel to create the sense of floating, lightness and reflection that prevails in outerspace.

“Stainless steel is not suitable for every work, but

Posted 1 July 2007

An exhibition showcasing the use of stainless steel in an artistic sense will, for the first time ever, coincide with ASSDA’s annual conference in October.

Sponsored by ASSDA member ELG and presented in partnership with Cooks Hill Galleries, the exhibition entitled Stainless Evolution, will be on display in the main auditorium at the PacRim 2007 Conference in Newcastle this October.  The pieces created will use various types of stainless steel, for the exclusive viewing of PacRim delegates.

Warrick Timmins of Newcastle is one such artist who has used stainless steel in his pieces to depict his

Posted 1 July 2007

The work of Anna Eggert is not new to ASSDA, or to those familiar with the 2005 Reference Manual where her pieces entitled “Belinda’s dress” featured on the cover.

Two years on, Anna’s love of stainless steel continues, as she begins work on a new project which has seen her nominated for the 2007 McClelland Award.

The work, which will be put forward for a chance at the $100,000 prize money, is similar to that shown, and again uses stainless steel mesh.

“Mesmerized” is an eight piece artwork  continuing an investigation into the female identity.  In

Form and function have long been the essence of good design, which is why the transformation of this Canberra building is such a success.

ASSDA member and Accredited Fabricator Interspace Manufacturing Pty Ltd was commissioned to design and fabricate screens to update the building aesthetically, as well as provide the workers inside the building with protection from the sun.

Interspace Managing Director Jorgen Hansen said the unique design of the mesh transformed the facade of an ordinary building into an interesting piece of architecture.

“Not only is the design aesthetic, but the screen helps reflect a percentage of the sun’s

The thought of public rubbish bins usually attracts images of black smelly wheelie bins with broken lids and flies.  However, if you walked through the University of Queensland in Brisbane’s St Lucia, you would be greeted, instead, with clean stainless steel and lovely bright colours.

The installation of between 30-50 new double-bin enclosures has added splashes of colour and flair to the university grounds.  Designers Street and Garden Furniture Co enlisted the services of long time contractors and ASSDA Accredited Fabricators Rocklea Pressed Metal to manufacture the pieces.

Featuring laser cut patterns, bright colour spray painting (to distinguish general rubbish

A childhood spent yacht racing was Newcastle artist Braddon Snape’s inspiration for his intriguing new piece entitled The SubWharfyen at Darling Harbour.

“I was always surrounded by beautifully machined or crafted stainless steel rigging and equipment,” he said. So when Sydney Wharf commissioned Mr Snape to create a large-scale work depicting the relationship between people and the sea, stainless steel seemed like a natural choice.

Mr Snape’s experience in working with hardy materials and a highly evolved visual language proved a winning combination. The finished product is a great success as a premium contemporary development for the area.

Sydney Wharf

The $10 million stainless steel revamp of Melbourne’s Bourke Street Mall has certainly lived up to its original purpose, providing a durable, clean and simple linear theme.

In 2006, inspired by success stories of nearby stainless street furniture, the City of Melbourne council conducted a life cycle costing analysis – with astounding results.

City of Melbourne Industrial Designer Marika Mulqueen said stainless steel ensured low maintenance costs and design flexibility.

“Using stainless steel over powder coated steel significantly reduces ongoing maintenance costs. A comparison found that while stainless steel can initially cost more, over a 20 year period maintenance costs

Posted 31st July 1993

A new product design company, KOZ Functional Art will shortly be launching a bath ware series called "Bath Art" made entirely from stainless steel

KOZ's mission is to design and manufacture distinctively Australian innovative domestic wares - "Functional Art". The name expresses our design commitment to quality and the integration of meaning, aesthetics and function. KOZ's research found that stainless steel is an ideal material for the Bath Art application because of its durability , low maintenance, design flexibility and ease of manufacture. The Bath Art range comprises four products - shower caddy, soap holder, toothbrush