Lee Sauder Featured At Cahoots

Local artist blacksmith Lee Sauder’s newest sculptures will be featured for the month of July at Artists in Cahoots in Lexington. The opening reception will run from 5 to 7 p.m. this Friday, July 5.

Some years ago Sauder was given an 18th century wrought iron mooring anchor salvaged from the harbor in Camden Maine. All 500 pounds of it rested on the floor of his Collierstown blacksmith shop until recently when he began to transform portions of it by hammer and fire into dynamic and lyrical sculptures.

His skill, honed by 45 years as a full-time professional blacksmith, combined with his improvisional talents as a musician give Sauder a very spontaneous and flowing working style, said a spokesperson. He begins with a broad concept, then follows the direction that the supple, red hot, wrought iron takes and, making visual and rhythmic decisions along the way, forges the iron until the sculpture finds its own ending.

Sauder will be showing several large pieces made from the anchor as well as other sculptures.