was 18. He found work in structural welding, fabricating crane booms and soccer goals.
Time behind the blowtorch trained him to cut, weld and burn metal. It was an invaluable
education that taught him the essentials of metalwork.
His blacksmith training was unorthodox. About five years ago, Bridgers began hammering
around in his own garage with a few fundamental blacksmithing tools. Once
a week, he volunteered at Poplar Grove Plantation’s blacksmith shop. Bridgers began
meeting more seasoned blacksmiths from the region at Poplar Grove and started
attending hammer-in meetings, where he would swap tips and tricks with other smiths.
“It is an art form,” he says, “but I see it more of a skilled trade because I have spent so
many hours behind a welding torch and so many hours behind a forge.”
Art or trade, Bridgers appears to have a handle on both aspects of the age-old
craft. His traditional designs are tinted with a historical refinement. The metal twists,
curls and bends into fascinating scrolls that look more like sculpture than functional
furnishings.
“I like making timeless things,” he says, displaying a photo of a wood and iron draft
table he recently made for his design studio. “I will make it look industrial but then add
some scroll to it.”
There is a naturalistic aspect to his work as well. He enjoys crafting organic objects
such as flowers, which appear in several of his designs. It is here that utility and creativity
come to a crossroads, where ordinary objects like door handles, towel racks and
signposts are transformed into keepsakes.
In the back of Bridgers’ shop are piles of small metal pieces that he is fabricating for
the South Front apartment complex in downtown Wilmington. Each piece is heated,
hammered and polished before furnishing every unit in the complex. Though he has
completed custom work for restaurants and homes, he says he is beginning to shift his
focus to building furniture.
“They don’t make quality stuff anymore,” Bridgers says. His aim is to create metalwood
furniture that is expertly crafted and durable, yet affordable, unlike the stools in
the back of his pickup truck waiting for repair.
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WBM june 2012