Local metal sculptor, Hamilton Dixon, recently unveiled his latest public railing installation in the new Boston Stoker Coffee shop, located in the lobby of the Dayton International Airport.
Dixon, creator of the Dayton Art Institute railing, explored a new dimension with this railing fabrication, producing an outcome that is both fluid and multi-dimensional. The railing itself runs 30 feet in length, and it swoops and bows at a variety of heights and depths, complete with hand-forged interior components that seem to reflect an “Earth meets Sky” theme.
According to Dixon, the inspiration for this design came primarily from Don Dean of Boston Stoker, who makes a point of celebrating the local artists community. “I appreciate the opportunity that Boston Stoker has given me to have my work seen by so many people arriving to and departing from the Dayton airport, “ said Dixon.
The forging process used by Dixon is similar to that of an old-world blacksmith. He begins his process with sticks of mild steel bar, either squared or round, then places them in a forge until they are red-hot. He then manually removes the heated stick, and with hammer and anvil, hand-forges the steel into its intended shape. Each and every element of this one-of-a-kind railing was hand-forged by the artist.
Dixon has been sculpting steel as an art form for 20 years. He began working with metal as a welder on an offshore oilrig in the 1980’s. He then attended Turley Forge School in Santa Fe, New Mexico where he learned basic techniques in forging steel, and in 1991 he relocated to Dayton, were he lives with his family in the historic South Park neighborhood.
He has produced a wide range of public art, installed throughout the Miami Valley; Dayton Art Institute Rotunda, Serenity Pines (University of Dayton), Aids Resource Center Kuntz Building, Cooper Loft Lobby, Kettering Delco Park, as well as private installations around Dayton and throughout the U.S. For additional information about the artist and his other installations in the Dayton area, go to www.hamiltondixon.com.
To celebrate this most recent installation, Dixon has produced a line of limited edition, commemorative bracelet, which is currently on display at the Airport Boston Stoker. Bracelet is made of pure, solid, sterling silver,
hand-hammered by artist himself, numbered and signed for $180. Purchase inquiries can be made by calling the artists’s studio 228-3555.
The railing at the Dayton International Airport is a permanent installation and can be seen anytime, preferably with a hot latte in hand.
