These works of art were created by Tobbe Malm, a blacksmith and photographer. Malm was in an old farm in Sweden, found some timeworn bolts, and right away noticed that they resembled human figures. He used these bolts and pieces of metal to create a story in the series he called Bolt Poetry. The bolts were heated, bent, and twisted to show them in different positions. The sculptures were left untitled so the viewer could create his or her own title based on how he or she interpreted the works.
Malm’s artwork is interesting because old, everyday objects are taken and used to tell a story that can be related to. Not many people would look at dirty bolts and see a human form. While there is a story in each sculpture, no face is shown, no expressions, just bent forms. It’s amazing that something so simple can evoke so much emotion. The pieces are barely anything, but at the same time are so much. The lack of titles allows viewers to use their imagination and more easily determine what each bolt figure means to them. I think it is incredible that something as simple as just bolts can mean something so different to so many different people, and that is something I would like to try to accomplish in my work someday.
More of Tobbe Malm's work can be found at http://www.jernmalm.com/bolt-poetry
Malm’s artwork is interesting because old, everyday objects are taken and used to tell a story that can be related to. Not many people would look at dirty bolts and see a human form. While there is a story in each sculpture, no face is shown, no expressions, just bent forms. It’s amazing that something so simple can evoke so much emotion. The pieces are barely anything, but at the same time are so much. The lack of titles allows viewers to use their imagination and more easily determine what each bolt figure means to them. I think it is incredible that something as simple as just bolts can mean something so different to so many different people, and that is something I would like to try to accomplish in my work someday.
More of Tobbe Malm's work can be found at http://www.jernmalm.com/bolt-poetry