Seven sculptures made in a collaboration with the next generation of welder-engineers, David Murphy’s work captures the essence of apprenticeship.

In an exploratory collaboration with artist David Murphy, seven sapling-like steel sculptures have been flame-cut, drilled, folded and welded into existence, reflecting the journey of seven apprentices at the engineering firm WEC.

The artist worked in the purpose-built training school environment to explore the discipline, repetition, potential and aspiration for mastery that has always been at the heart of apprenticeship. Using factory processes taught at the academy, sculptures were created with a determined emphasis on the use of manual processes, creating a series of sculptures evocative of the apprentices’ fledgling careers in the world of manufacturing.