Simon Wroot
Artist Bio
Simon Wroot is a British-born metal artist who now lives and works in his studio in Calgary, Alberta. Previously self-trained in photography, woodworking and stained glass, his affinity for metal has surfaced since he moved to Calgary in 1987. Over five years he took courses at the Alberta College of Art and Design, the Lewton-Brain-Fontans Centre for Jewellery studies, and studied under Karen Cantine at Series, Red Deer College. More recently he participated in workshops by Joan Irvin at the Alberta College of Art and Design.
Simon started teaching the Craft Business Training Program for the Alberta Craft Council in 1996 and, in 1997, joined the Council's Board of Directors, becoming Board Chair 2 years later. He was Board Chair for 6 years, and retired from the Board in 2011. During that time he was also Alberta’s director on the Board of the Canadian Crafts Federation, eventually holding Secretary, Vice President and President Terms, and is currently Past President.
Simon has recently become well known for his extremely detailed miniature landscapes created by stacking up to 15 layers of bronze, copper, nickel, steel and sterling silver. These are individually crafted, and are primarily hanging artworks, but the smaller pieces are also created as brooches.
Artist Statement
When I was growing up in Britain visible history spanned so much time that ‘history’ seemed so far away; the stone-age burial mounds on the hill, the roman invasion, even having to memorize a thousand years of kings. In Alberta it’s very different. Yes, there are archaeological records of 12,000 years of occupation, but the actual recorded history is only 250 years old, and the oldest building still standing and used today was built
in 1861, almost within reach.
The stories of our old buildings are still visible, still recountable, and I feel a real desire to re-tell them, to keep them alive in some way. I love to visit and explore the cabins, churches, and other places that were erected with love, with need, with local sweat and labour because of their need for shelter, for a spiritual home, for community. This was a new land that had no history, no ancestors, and no traditions. Creating a new home was a basic need, and the settlers poured their hearts and souls into making this place theirs.
The churches especially, but also cabins, homes and so on all have personalities, they have a feeling about them that speaks of their story. Whether it’s their decay, their strength, their surroundings or even the intent of their original use, I love to visit, to experience them, to get a feeling or an inkling of their history.
Not all places speak, but those that do waken a need to tell part of this story in my work. Re-creating not only the shape of the place, but the feeling of it is my creative challenge. While making my pieces I constantly refer back to the photographs, reminding me of what I saw and felt while I was there, and keeping that feeling alive as I trace, cut, texture and assemble . I have a very limited palette of colour, pink copper, golden bronze, and silvery silver or nickel. I can also use a patina to duplicate the aged colour of these metals which gives me a little shadow or richness.
My intent is to re-create a little of the feeling that I had in that place, to create a connection with the builder, with the story, with our very young history and those who created it.
Simon Wroot is a British-born metal artist who now lives and works in his studio in Calgary, Alberta. Previously self-trained in photography, woodworking and stained glass, his affinity for metal has surfaced since he moved to Calgary in 1987. Over five years he took courses at the Alberta College of Art and Design, the Lewton-Brain-Fontans Centre for Jewellery studies, and studied under Karen Cantine at Series, Red Deer College. More recently he participated in workshops by Joan Irvin at the Alberta College of Art and Design.
Simon started teaching the Craft Business Training Program for the Alberta Craft Council in 1996 and, in 1997, joined the Council's Board of Directors, becoming Board Chair 2 years later. He was Board Chair for 6 years, and retired from the Board in 2011. During that time he was also Alberta’s director on the Board of the Canadian Crafts Federation, eventually holding Secretary, Vice President and President Terms, and is currently Past President.
Simon has recently become well known for his extremely detailed miniature landscapes created by stacking up to 15 layers of bronze, copper, nickel, steel and sterling silver. These are individually crafted, and are primarily hanging artworks, but the smaller pieces are also created as brooches.
Artist Statement
When I was growing up in Britain visible history spanned so much time that ‘history’ seemed so far away; the stone-age burial mounds on the hill, the roman invasion, even having to memorize a thousand years of kings. In Alberta it’s very different. Yes, there are archaeological records of 12,000 years of occupation, but the actual recorded history is only 250 years old, and the oldest building still standing and used today was built
in 1861, almost within reach.
The stories of our old buildings are still visible, still recountable, and I feel a real desire to re-tell them, to keep them alive in some way. I love to visit and explore the cabins, churches, and other places that were erected with love, with need, with local sweat and labour because of their need for shelter, for a spiritual home, for community. This was a new land that had no history, no ancestors, and no traditions. Creating a new home was a basic need, and the settlers poured their hearts and souls into making this place theirs.
The churches especially, but also cabins, homes and so on all have personalities, they have a feeling about them that speaks of their story. Whether it’s their decay, their strength, their surroundings or even the intent of their original use, I love to visit, to experience them, to get a feeling or an inkling of their history.
Not all places speak, but those that do waken a need to tell part of this story in my work. Re-creating not only the shape of the place, but the feeling of it is my creative challenge. While making my pieces I constantly refer back to the photographs, reminding me of what I saw and felt while I was there, and keeping that feeling alive as I trace, cut, texture and assemble . I have a very limited palette of colour, pink copper, golden bronze, and silvery silver or nickel. I can also use a patina to duplicate the aged colour of these metals which gives me a little shadow or richness.
My intent is to re-create a little of the feeling that I had in that place, to create a connection with the builder, with the story, with our very young history and those who created it.
