Benjamin Caldwell

I love forming metal. Copper feels like a suspended liquid as I’m working it, as if it’s flowing & wants to work with me to take on whatever shape I envision. The natural world & its incomparable beauty are one of my main sources of inspiration. After hiking the Appalachian Trail, my love of nature became a central focus in my art. Sometimes I begin with the classical proportions & forms of the historic American silver that surrounded me growing up, other pieces begin with an idea rather than a fully formed picture & I feel it out as I work the metal. This allows, opportunities to arise that I didn’t anticipate; serendipity takes over, leading me on an exciting, unplanned journey. I use traditional metalsmithing techniques including hammering, raising, & chasing by hand with traditional tools, but also tools of my own design. All of my materials, the purest available copper, silver & naturally-shed antler, are sourced in the USA to create each one-of-a kind piece in my Nashville studio.