Welded sculpture

González came from a line of metalsmith workers; his grandfather was a goldsmith in Galicia, who established in the Catalan capital in the early 19th century.

In 1918, he developed an interest in the artistic possibilities of welding, after learning the technique whilst working in the Renault Factory at Boulogne-Billancourt.

During the mid-20th century, welded sculptures continued to evolve, artists now have access to different materials, techniques, and technology that weren’t available to the early founders.

In the 1950s and 1960s, large-scale industrial materials such as steel beams and large plates were utilized to construct monumental sculptures that were march larger than the ones in the past.

Today, welded sculptures are an established form of contemporary art, with artists continuously pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with modern materials and technology.

Artist Richard Hunt said "The idea of exploiting welding methods and the tensile strength of metals opened up many possibilities to me.