Metalsmithing is a technology with millennia of history spanning many cultures. It has a popular connotation with the past or fantasy literature, such as the sweating blacksmith laboring over swords and horseshoes. However, it is also an art form that can incorporate modern tools to produce contemporary objects of utility and beauty, ranging from jewelry to public art and anything in between. Artist Addison de Lisle will present the Mythos Chess Set as an example of contemporary metalwork that blends modern and traditional approaches to the craft. He will discuss his approach to metalwork, and the various processes used to create this piece, from forging and machining to CAD and 3D printing.

Addison de Lisle is a formally trained metalsmith from Damariscotta, Maine. He earned his BFA at the Maine College of Art & Design, his MFA at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and completed a fellowship in architectural ironwork at the Fondation de Coubertin in France. As an artist practicing a wide range of metal arts from traditional blacksmithing and silversmithing to digital sculpting, he exhibits work and leads classes at colleges and art centers nationwide, and maintains an independent studio practice at home.

This project is supported in part by the Maine Arts Commission, which receives support in part from the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.