ACC Professor Preserves the Art of Blacksmithing
William Bastas - ACC Welding Professor
William Bastas grew up in a welding shop, but his father wanted his son to be something better, a salesman perhaps. Instead of sales, Bastas followed in his father’s footsteps and fashioned his career into one that provides opportunity to others and preserves a historic art form.
The Austin Community College professor mastered the centuries-old skills used by blacksmiths and used those skills to transform the college’s Metalsmith Program into one of only two college-credit smithing programs of its type in the United States. Students now come to ACC from across Central Texas to learn the ancient metal craft.
“The smithing program includes traditional forging and power hammer as well as classes in hardware, toolmaking, sculptural forging, and furniture making,” says Bastas, who joined ACC’s faculty in 1992. “Students can study the history, tradition, and techniques that give access to the beauty of an artistic heritage that extends 6,000 years.”
In 1984, Bastas was following his father’s wishes. He was enrolled at UT-Austin and trying different majors until a 2,400-mile detour led him back to his father’s welding shop. Bastas took off a summer to bike through Greece, Italy, Spain, and France and found himself photographing less of the monuments and more of the beautiful ironwork in gates, grilles, window lights, stairways, and entrances.
“Seeing ironwork firsthand in Europe cemented my aspiration toward a career in metalsmithing,” Bastas says. “I admire the tradesmen and craftsmen because there is great humility of people who work with their hands.”
Bastas returned with a clearer focus. He re-enrolled at UT and earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish, with a minor in fine arts metals. He transferred to Austin Community College to improve his welding skills, and the college later hired him.
Today, Bastas specializes in functional art, with pieces that include wall brackets, fireplace screens, gates, furniture, and railing. He teaches the skills in the Welding Department’s metalsmith classes, which are open to all students but can be taken as part of the art metals associate degree and certificate.
“ ‘By hammer and hand, all crafts do stand’ is an old adage that describes the pivotal position the blacksmith held in the community as maker of tools, hardware, and iron artifacts,” Bastas says. “The torch has been passed to artist craftsman to produce finely wrought ironwork and sculpture.”
As an artist, Bastas draws upon the world of art nouveau, modeling most of his work after things organic, especially floral and plant-inspired motifs. Shaping a material that seems so rigid into a rose is powerful to watch. In keeping with the art nouveau style, he hammers hot steel into fluid, curvilinear shapes that turn into functional items like gates and decorative wall brackets.
“Most of my inspiration comes from nature and flowers,” he says. “But, historically I am inspired by artists like Gaudí, Mazzucotelli, and Albert Paley.”
Bastas also forges custom hammers – he is only one of six in the United States to do so.
“Someone once told me that if you don’t make your own tools, you are half a smith. I make hammers for other blacksmiths. I don’t really advertise, but my name is spread by word-of-mouth.”
A professor for 17 years, Bastas starts each semester by creating a design for students to create in their class. It features the techniques they will learn and, if all goes well, results in a completed artwork. “Sometimes I have to resuscitate their projects from the dead, but for the most part I let them learn from their mistakes,” he says.
Bastas’ metalsmith students are a diverse group. One recent class included a displaced worker seeking a new career, a retiree wanting simply to create artwork, and an oilfield worker advancing his welding skills.
The work is hard, but Bastas’ passion is inspirational, students say. They value his guidance.
“He really knows his stuff,” says Jason Wild, who studied metalsmithing last summer.
Bastas and his students gather at a table at the start of each class, then move to a forge to begin the smithing process – heating steel to red-hot, then hammering it into shape. Bastas moves among the students, supervising and coaching them.
“Working with steel is like playing a game of chess,” he reminds a struggling student. “Steel tries to beat you, so you have to always be three steps ahead,” he says.
Bastas is pleased with his chosen profession. “I am proud to have developed, with the support of ACC, only one of two college credit blacksmithing programs in the United States.”
And his father?
“My father is happy for me and proud to tell his friends that his son is one of the best blacksmiths in the country.”
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By Laura Tabor-Huerta October 9, 2009 - 4:39 pm
Very cool story. Sometimes a profession is “in the blood”.
I hope to take some classes in that one day.
By Addam Copeland October 14, 2009 - 9:37 pm
I am just getting started with the Art Metal courses this spring. The staff in this dept. all seem very interesting. I am very excited about this program.
By Leah Adams October 16, 2009 - 10:06 am
I am very glad to say that I get to learn from this guy! He is so passionate about his work that it is an honor to be able to learn from him.
By warren heatwole October 16, 2009 - 5:12 pm
I’ve known William BAstas for several years. I was privileged to be a student in his “smithing” class 2 or 3 semesters ago. The text describing him and his passion for artistry and teaching was very accurate. However, in the photographer’s effort to capture the “soul” of the man behind the flame, some observers, including Rebecca Cole of the ACC health, safety, and insurance division ACC may think that William is not exhibiting safe behavior while in his welding element at the Riverside Campus. In fact,she might be thinking that he never wears safety glasses or hearng protection while teaching in the lab. She may even believe William encourages his students to pound hot metal without proper, personal protective equipment. It looks as though none of the Welding faculty members adhere to safety rules. But, hold on there! Becky, just chill, don’t send in the fotos to some higher authority. William does wear protective eyewear in his welding environment. He requires his students to wear eyewear 100% of the time while shaping hot metal. He is very concerned that each student hydrate and not get blinded. Attention Photographers: Please do not capture workforce faculty and staff while in their soulful element and publish those that compromise the true “soul” of the teacher. Thanks William for being a good teacher!
By mreyes October 28, 2009 - 2:31 pm
Mea culpa, Warren, and thank you for the important cautionary note. Professor Bastas does indeed follow appropriate safety protocol when smithing. When shooting the photos at his home studio, we asked Professor Bastas to allow us a few shots to capture his face. I promise not to repeat the error when I seek you out for a future faculty profile (which I will do). – Marvi Reyes
By Andy Der Tatevasion October 18, 2009 - 2:52 pm
For years I have been interested in the work that blacksmiths do. This may be a career path that I decide to persue.
By Kozlow October 18, 2009 - 7:16 pm
I was very excited to begin metals classes at ACC in the Spring of 2009. Blacksmithing has quickly become a central part of my day to day life, as well as a crucial part my long term career goals.
The things that draw me to metal work are many and varied. On a very basic level I love to move metal. The process of constructing functional art from a scrap of material most people would readily discard as trash is exhilarating, as well as incredibly rewarding.
William is a very patient and talented teacher who goes out of his way to to inspire and give students the foundation skills needed to pursue careers as a metal workers and artists. I am very grateful ACC has given me the opportunity to pursue this timeless art.
By brad October 26, 2009 - 2:32 pm
I’m just curios about the work available for blacksmiths. Is this art dead as far as practical use?
By mreyes October 28, 2009 - 2:38 pm
Thank you for your question, Brad. I contacted Professor Bastas, who sent the response below:
The craft has a myriad of practical uses. Blacksmiths forge steel or other metals to create shapes that otherwise may not be available, unless cast or fabricated or billet stock removal. And the forging process, whether hot or cold, increases the toughness of the metal by refining the grain, giving the part superior physical properties compared to other ways of making parts. We can reproduce obsolete parts on a tiny scale or on a larger scale.
We can make jewelry, hardware, tools, architectural ironwork such as stair rails, fences, garden gates. We can make furniture, lighting and much of the hardware found in the house. We can forge other metals such as aluminum,stainless steel, silver, titanium, copper, bronze etc..depending on the strength or color or oxidation properties that we are seeking.
Our work is sought after by high-end builders, architects, and designers. Additionally, to do a period restoration requires the traditional techniques of the blacksmith. As well, we make tools
for other craftsmen, such as jewelers, mechanics, sheet metal workers etc.
As a welder or fabricator, blacksmithing gives options to the design of weldments, for instance a simple bend will reduce the time required to weld separate pieces.
The forging process gives unique shaping possibilities for expression that artists and craftsmen can use in their compositions. Given all of these possibilities, it is up to the artist or craftsman to utilize the process and material to transform the raw material into a masterpiece.
By Keith Doane November 13, 2009 - 7:18 pm
This is actually inspirating me so much! For since I always love the History (I once majored in History), and I always fascinated how the innovations with the metals, wood and so on has been changing through the history since Venus of Laussel, as an instance; this field of “blacksmith” has reminded me that we CAN NOT ingore how important the “Hands” is.
Keith- ASL user
“Mind and Hands” – M.I.T. Motto.