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Oct 26, 2024

"Working Artist": Talking shop with metal sculptor Rob Lorenson

MIDDLEBOROUGH — ”People who weld for a living look at what I do, and they’re like, ‘You’re nuts,’” metal sculptor Rob Lorenson told the Globe during a studio visit last week. His monumental pieces are

MIDDLEBOROUGH — ”People who weld for a living look at what I do, and they’re like, ‘You’re nuts,’” metal sculptor Rob Lorenson told the Globe during a studio visit last week.

His monumental pieces are close to 18 feet tall or 16 feet in diameter. One required more than a mile of welding. The artist has graceful abstract sculptures in public and private collections across the country, some glistening stainless steel, others brightly painted aluminum, all seemingly frozen in motion. He has public art on view in Concord, N.H., and Providence.

Lorenson welds cut metal plates together to create volume.

“I’m building all of these things about solidity,” he said. “But they’re all really hollow. It’s like theater.”

Where to find him: www.instagram.com/roblorensonsculpture

Age: 55

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Originally from: Cedar Falls, Iowa

Lives in: Middleborough

Making a living: Lorenson’s commissions range from $1,500 for a tabletop piece to $75,000-85,000 for a giant work. His art could support him, but he has taught at Bridgewater State University since 1999. “I don’t want to burn myself out on doing this stuff,” he said of his artwork.

Studio: When he was 13, Lorenson saw a movie about sculptor Henry Moore displaying work on the grounds of his own home in Hertfordshire, England. He remembers thinking, “‘If I could have a place like this, where I had sheep and a sculpture and a studio, it was the most idyllic life you could ever lead.’”

Now, the metal artist works in the garage of his COR-TEN-steel-clad home on the edge of a field. There are no sheep, but a procession of his sculptures leads toward a pigsty. The property abuts state conservation land. Lorenson anticipates building a larger studio space there someday.

How he started: When Lorenson was pursuing his master’s degree at Northern Illinois University in the 1990s, he worked as a studio assistant for sculptor Bruce White.

“Bruce was my graduate supervisor. But working in his studio was actually more instructive,” he said. “Going out and installing big pieces on site and seeing how the whole thing took place. Meeting dealers. It was like, ‘Oh, this is how it all works.’”

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What he makes: The shapes — circles and spheres, Xs and arcs — create totems or a sense of fluidity. “It’s not about what it is, but the so many things that it could be,” Lorenson said. “That propels the viewer into another place.”

He built and painted hot rods when he was young. Painting sculptures is not so different.

“I paint these things just like I used to paint cars, and make them look as luscious as possible,” he said. “It looks like it just dripped out of a syrup jar.”

How he works: Lorenson designs his sculptures on a computer, which breaks the components down into shaped planes. He sends the specs to a fabricator to be cut and brings them home for welding, surface prep, and painting.

Advice for artists: “Every day is a new day to make new work or meet new people,” he said. “Every time you think you’ve had a dead end, if you just keep working, you’ll find a way.”

Cate McQuaid can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Instagram @cate.mcquaid.