I’ve been working as an artist/blacksmith for over 20 years and I began as a student in Austin, Texas. I was fortunate to find work in the craft with a small architectural firm where I learned the practice of building gates, railings, fire tools, and other forged utilitarian objects. After several years of working and feeling inspired, I wanted to move on and create a studio of my own. I settled on the East Coast where I was introduced to the craft show circuit. I now live in my hometown of Boise, Idaho where my studio practice has evolved. I regularly interact with art consultants, art service groups, and apply for commissions in public spaces. My work embraces bold color, abstract form, and an exploration of texture to reconsider the traditional treatment of steel. Typically, forged works are utilitarian and masculine. Tuning into my own intuition, I have veered away from these forms and aesthetics. I employ the same traditional techniques taught to me by masters and still create objects that reveal the organic nature of the material. My work breaches the conventional concepts of blacksmithing and my intention is to contribute and influence the craft with a neo-traditional approach to the practice.My interest in glass goes back to a 2004 invitational residency (Wood, Glass, and Iron) at Penland. I wandered into the Glass Studio from my home base at the Iron Studio and ended up working with Tim Tate and Sean Hennessey. They taught me a dry plaster casting technique and I was able to cast my forged metalwork into up-cycled window glass. Seeing my work in glass was exciting. Since then, I’ve tried to take a class a year to learn different techniques that seem relevant to my work and to express myself artistically in another medium. I’ve found it important to keep expanding my knowledge of materials and techniques in order to maintain curiosity and growth.
Madacsi has been working as an artist and forging metal for 20 years and began as a student in Austin, Texas. She was fortunate to find work in the craft with a with a small architectural firm where she learned a studio practice of building gates, railings, fire tools, and other forged utilitarian objects. After several years of working for others and feeling inspired, Madacsi settled on the East Coast where she created her own studio. She was introduced to and entered the craft show circuit where she began developing her unique approach and style to forged metalwork. Now living in her hometown of Boise, Idaho Madacsi’s studio practice has evolved into regularly interacting with art consultants, art service groups, and applying for commissions in public spaces. She regularly designs, creates, and installs artwork for clients, has a small batchproduction collection available through The Artful Home, and also enjoys sharing her knowledge and skills through teaching. The work she creates embraces bold color, abstract form, and explores texture to reconsider the traditional treatment of forged steel. Typically, forged works are utilitarian and aesthetically masculine. As an artist, Madacsi has purposefully veered away from these forms, but employs the same traditional techniques thus creating objects that reveal the organic nature of the material and breaching the conventional concepts of what blacksmithing is and to show what it can be. Her intention is to contribute and influence the craft contemporarily with a neo-traditional approach.
She owns and manages Madacsi Studios, LLC and SideCar Art and Design, LLC in Garden City, Idaho, a workshop and creative space, which is part of a community of local artists and businesses, operating on the live, work, create concept.
