Mythic Metalsmith On Exhibit At Illinois Museum

L. Brent Kington: Mythic Metalsmith shows the progression of the artist's work from objects of whimsy, fantasy and play to ritual objects of a spiritual nature. A subtle relationship between play and mysticism is near the surface as is seen in the soaring movement of his Icarus pieces (1980) and suggestion of yearning in his crosiers (1992) that brings the work into the realms of ecclesiasticism and spirituality. His semi-precious cast metal baubles and larger, forged ferrous metal pieces illustrate the logical progression from the playful to the ritual, inviting the viewer to define the nature of that duality on an individual basis. The exhibit includes decorative toys in silver and bronze from the 1960's which were created for his children to forged iron and steel kinetic weathervanes from the 1970's to examples of the Icarus series and his crosiers, spires, and crescents.

Kington started his career as the precocious jewelry student of Fabion Wolf at his high school in Topeka, Kansas. He attended the University of Kansas and received a degree in metals with training in object design and sculpture and went on for his MFA in Metalsmithing from Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 1964, inspired by the Arms and Armor collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Kington sought out the few blacksmiths still working in the Carbondale area. In Murphysboro, Illinois, he found the Deal Brothers, one of whom was trained at Tuskegee University and the other a retired blacksmith, who taught him the art of the forge.

After honing his craft for five years and further study of arc welding, he built his own blacksmith shop. In 1969, Kington committed to ferrous metal and the creation of larger work as a blacksmith. As head of the Metals Program at the Southern Illinois University Art Department he started the first and only MFA degree program in Blacksmithing in the United States to date. He retired in 1997 and continues to work from his home in Makanda, Illinois.

The American Craft Council has honored L. Brent Kington with three awards: the "Academy Fellows," (1978) which signifies an artist of outstanding quality; the "Trustee Emeriti," (1994) after several years of serving as a trustee to the organization; the "Gold Medal," (2000) the Council's highest award to individual artists. -- www.museum.state.il.us