LEE W. BADGER

Artist’s Statement

Tubendstil Table
Tubendstil Table emerged from my efforts to develop furniture designs from standard structural steel stock. I cut, bend and weld them from sections of 6" x 6" steel tube and 1/4" plate. Then they are filed, joined and finished, each one crafted individually.

Although this design requires contemporary tools and techniques for execution, it reflects the “Jugendstil” style developed by German and Austrian Art Nouveau craftsmen more than 100 years ago. Tubendstil Table slightly resembles an oak tray table made by Herman Obrist in 1898, now in the Bavarian National Museum.
In developing this design, I found the opportunity for a modern twist: Tubendstil Table is reversible. It can be inverted and both ways are right side up - the design carries through in either orientation. Each position demonstrates appealing shape, line and proportion equally well.

I make Tubendstil Tables in several different proportions with various finishes for indoor or outdoor use. The table design allows a variety of interchangeable tops. Cabinet makers and glass artists have collaborated with me to make some unique and unusual tops, but I designed the steel bases to support stone or ceramic tops in commonly available sizes.

Stone Top Table
Stone Top Table intends to strike a balance between heavy and light. As an artist-blacksmith and furniture maker I work with ferrous metals that are malleable, durable, strong and heavy. With hard work and a little engineering, a small amount of this material can support great weight, both physically and visually. Metal comes from stone which is also strong and heavy, but each piece of stone can be unique with different characteristics. I looked for ways to combine a stone table top with a steel base.

The Stone Top Table design floats a stone top on a steel framework meant to express strength without heaviness. The table’s legs are cut and crafted from structural steel stock commonly known as “angle iron.” I use carefully finished welds at the exposed corners of the frame and hidden welds to join the legs to the frame. This creates a strong support with a light and uplifting appearance.

I make Stone Top Tables with Marble or Pennsylvania Flagstone and steel bases in a variety of finishes, and I’ve had commissions to make them for pre-selected stone tops up to 40” square, 250 lbs.

Bio
Lee W. Badger is the owner, director and chief talent of Anvil Works®, in business since 1981. His life-long career as a self-employed artist-blacksmith began during the 1970's in the Colorado Rockies and brought him to the Mid-Atlantic in the late 1980's. He taught and worked as an artist-in-residence at Glen Echo National Park in suburban Washington, DC from 1989 to 1993.

As the scope of his business increased, Lee began to seek a regionally central location where he could create a workshop of his own design. In 1998 he built the Anvil Works studio and metal work shop in Hedgesville, WV. This location in West Virginia’s Eastern Panhandle provides easy access to industrial resources and transportation routes, allowing him to serve clients throughout the entire region with ease.

Lee Badger’s work and creative achievements consistently earn honors and awards in museum and gallery exhibitions. As a furniture maker and sculptor, he is a member of The Furniture Society and the International Sculpture Center. He also belongs to national, regional and local artist-craftsmen guilds, and attends metalsmithing workshops and conferences wherever his interests may lead.

The mainstay of Anvil Works’ studio business is a regular flow of privately commissioned work. Carefully understood and completed commissions are the main sources of referral. Many recent commissions can be seen on his web site, Anvilworks.net. Lee Badger shares delight and satisfaction in the commissioning process with design professionals, collectors and homeowners alike.