Visual Language Magazine Contemporary Fine Art Vol 3 no 9

VL
Studio Visit MiltonWagner
The crisp smell of aspen trees have always reminded me
of the Colorado high country cowboy life. I was born and
bred in a small mountain town in southwest Colorado.
The only thing I ever wanted to do was be a cowboy. My
mother had a picture of a three year old me with a rope
in my hand chasing after a chicken. From chickens, I
moved on to dogs, calves and occasionally my sister.
I was lucky enough to come from a farming family tree
with the occasional cowboy branch. I grew up on stories
told to me by my two favorite cowboy heroes - my great
uncle Clem & uncle Henry. Other cowboys I idolized
were John Wayne, Louis L’Amour, Tom Mix and the boys
from the Ponderosa.
I’ve often been asked why cowboys are my idols and I
guess it really boils down to what a cowboy stands for.
The cowboys I was lucky enough to know were loyal,
honest and hardworking.
When I was in high school, I divided my time between
metal shop and cow punching for local ranchers. Whenever
the ranches needed equipment fixed, I was the goto
person because of my metal-working background. I
learned early on how to use my imagination to envision
metal as a great medium.
When I was eighteen, I broke my first horse. That horse
was my best friend and partner in crime for the next 36
years. Right after high school, I met my lovely wife.
While we raised our three children, I worked as an iron
worker for money and moonlighted as a cowboy for fun.
In my spare time, I’d gather leftover metal, wood and
horseshoes for future art projects
.
I started Aspen Ironworks, an eco-friendly metal art studio
15 years ago because I wanted to work for myself &
focus more on my art pieces. I work in two main areas - a
studio/workshop on the back of my property and under a
large oak tree overlooking the horses.
I use the oak tree forge when the weather is too nice to
stay indoors. I use a handmade forge, several pairs of
tongs handed down from my grandfather to father and
then to me, and two anvils - a 200 pound workshop anvil
and an 80 pound vintage farrier anvil which I can transport
if I need to.
I started out with individuals cowboys made from leftover
rebar and quickly graduated to western scenes. I
thought about what does a cowboy do A cowboy’s life
is simple. Cowboys rope, they ride, and they drink. My
western pieces reflect this lifestyle. I do bar scenes, I do
rodeo scenes and I do cattle drive scenes.
I feel my work is unique for three main reasons. First, my
cowboy knowledge is authentic. It’s important to me that
the story I tell is the right one. I’ve been in these situations
I craft out of metal. I’ve been bucked off a bronco
and know which part of the cowboy is last to touch the
horse. I’ve roped cows and know the correct angle of the
rope loop. My cowboys hold it at the right angle for roping
a cow on the first try. I’ve been on top of the mountain
when it’s cold and freezing and the only thing you want is
a cup of coffee around the campfire.
Secondly, I believe in doing lifetime work. I’m putting
my name on each of these pieces & I want the people
who buy my art to have something that will last them for
generations to come. There are metal workers out there
who just tack their pieces together and that irritates me.
If you’re going to do a true work of art, you need to craft
it right
Thirdly, I believe in leaving a better world for my children
and grandchildren than I had which is why 95% of
the materials I use are recycled, reused, or eco-friendly.
I gather used horseshoes from my farrier friends & old
metal bits from local farmers and scrap metal shops. I
even have a page on my website for local residents to
schedule scrap metal pickups.
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