I first met Harry when I photographed his wedding many years ago, and when I was looking for top class artisans to add to my Artisan Project his name came up.
I am blown away by what he and his team create – a Jaguar C-Type Tribute car built from the ground up out of flat sheets of aluminium showed the craftsmanship and attention to detail right down to the louvers, which were made with a handmade Louvre press.
It is such a beautiful car and incredible to believe that these shapes were once flat sheet metal.
This was just one of the cars I was able to see and photograph as part of this film.
@harrymetalshaper
@englishwheelfabrication
https://englishwheelfab.co.za/
är-tə-zən
A person who practices a trade or handicraft that produces something in limited quantities often using traditional methods. I love the smell of a workshop, the wood, metal and oil all evoke such strong feelings for me.
The sawdust in the air and the feel of the wood under my fingers is a memory I will never forget and people who know me well, know I will run my hand over every surface and will hold pieces of wood against my nose and breath in as deeply as I can whenever I am in a cabinet makers workshop or showroom.
I often tell the story of my father making me take accounting to my final year at school instead of woodwork. It is one of the big regrets in my life and possibly this series is a way to live vicariously through artisans and using my skills as a photographer and filmmaker to showcase their skills in creating beautiful objects.
The Artisan Project was intended to be a way for me to create content for my portfolio to attract commercial work. To do that and to get buy in from the Artisans, I have covered all the costs for the projects. It also meant that I had to be the director, camera operator, sound engineer, editor and chief bottle washer.
I am loving every minute of it.
Project website: https://artisanproject.co.za