When you talk about art, most people think of paints, ink, or maybe clay. There’s a good chance they don’t think about aluminum.

However, Georgia-based artist Todd Briske has found his art medium of choice, and it involves our favorite type of metal.

Briske’s sculptures run the gamut, from sculptures of men and women to other pieces of metal art, including a giant Christmas wreath at the Arts Clayton Gallery in Jonesboro, Georgia. From the Clayton Neighbor Newspaper:

According to Arts Clayton Executive Director Linda Summerlin, Briske’s metal creations, including a huge, multi-colored medal Christmas wreath on display at the gallery, are among the most talked about artistic works available there.

“To me, it is almost like knitting,” Briske said.

“However, instead of using yarn, you are using aluminum metal strips which I can easily shape and mold using only a pair of pliers,” he added.

Briske can also wire his art, with or without a studio.

“I can remember that after our Thanksgiving dinner, my mother would be knitting at one end of our couch and I would be working on an artistic metal piece at the other end,” he said, adding that aluminum strips are not only easy to shape but maintain that shape well.

Briske’s sculptures are on display right now at the Arts Clayton Gallery. For more information, visit their website.

Does the art world now have a soft spot for the aluminum industry? Perhaps Briske’s endeavors will inspire others to work with aluminum — it’s lightweight, strong, and malleable, after all. One thing’s for sure, though; at Taber Extrusions, you can bet that we are not going to making any sculptures anytime soon.

We’ll leave the art to the artists.