What is lost as our attention focuses ever toward the future?
How do we recognize when to slow down, attend to the quality of what we have, and
reflect on the path we’ve taken?
The elemental nature of transforming the iron is a reminder that we are not separate from our environment. It is an embodied connection to those that came before and is an experience of not just space, but also time. Iron has played a fundamental role in the evolution of our species and subsequently, the world. It has shaped us as much as we shape it. How can we work to not merely control, but create harmony between the piece of ourselves we imbue and the material before us?
If we choose to look closely we may catch a glimpse of our own story.
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Eric Dennis is a blacksmith from Vermont, currently running a shop in Greenfield, MA. He is passionate about bloomery iron smelting, traditional ironwork, while fusing calculation with intuition.
When not at the forge or deep in the woods hunting for iron ore, Eric can be found high up on a cliff face, rock climbing… ideally on a sunny, crisp, fall day.
