A&C: Blacksmith Raven Hammer keeps ancient art alive

LOCAL BUSINESS

Blacksmith Raven Hammer keeps ancient art alive

By Max Hogan

@macnogan

In the forested hills of Bellvue, Colorado, one local artisan twists, bends and hammers red-hot metal in a weathered wooden workshop, informed by the ancient legacy of metalwork.

Aptly named, Raven Hammer is a local craftsman who practices the centuries-old art of blacksmithing. Hammer specializes in historically accurate recreations of metalwork from 11th-century Viking Europe and fur trappers who lived and worked in the U.S. and Canada in the 19th century.

Hammer’s interest in blacksmithing was sparked at an early age — just 4 years old — when he saw a live blacksmithing demonstration at the Dollywood theme park in Tennessee.

“I had to be bribed to be pulled away from them,” Hammer said. “I remember watching these powerful people take steel and iron and heat it up and manipulate it with their hands and hammers. … (Since then), I’ve been studying it.”

Before starting traditional blacksmithing full time, Hammer learned manual skills like welding and mechanics as well as briefly studying metallurgy, the science of metal properties.

“I fabricated my first forge by welding it together,” Hammer said. “I knew how to work gas too, so I was able to build a burner as well. I just fabricated my own equipment and went for it.”

Many of the skills Hammer employs in his work today were learned outside of a typical education environment, without an apprenticeship or designated course.

“I’m self-taught,” Hammer said. “I’ve been studying it, like, real hardcore, and I’m also neurodivergent — ADHD and dyslexic — so I hyperfocus really, really hard. And my learning is a very visual, technical learning skill, so I can watch something and then replicate that thing. … A lot of it’s been trial and error.”

Hammer has been working as a full-time blacksmith for two years and specializes in historical reproductions, employing historic techniques and traditional aesthetics to create pieces for himself and other members in reenacting organizations.

“I am a huge history nerd/ history buff,” Hammer said. “I have a real affinity towards the Viking Age, which is 796-1066 AD. I specifically reenact the 11th century Viking Age. So with that, I needed a lot of historically accurate items, and I did not have the money or patience to buy it from somebody else.”

Although traditional blacksmithing and metalwork outside industrial settings has become increasingly rare over the 19th and 20th centuries, Hammer stressed the importance of recognizing it as the basis for modern technology.

“Blacksmiths got us out of the Bronze Age and Stone Age and got us into the age of ferrous metals,” Hammer said. “Because of the smiths, we have all of the crap that we’ve got that’s been made out of steel and iron, etc. So there’s your foundation for most of our modern history.”

Through his work, Hammer has built a greater understanding and respect for the work of the craftsmen of the past who fueled human civilization pre-Industrial Revolution.

“I love seeing these massive historical sites all done with hand tools (and) donkeys — like, what are you talking about?” Hammer said. “Holy crap, man. We would have a hard time today with power tools and machines.”

The act of working with the forge can also be a spiritual one. Hammer said the practice allows him to connect with the blacksmiths of the past.

“I connect with my ancestors every single time I fire up my forge, which is a big deal, again, to folks who lean into my realm of spirituality,” Hammer said.

While I was in his smithy, Hammer was crafting a Norse World Serpent: a religious symbol depicting a snake eating its own tail that represents an acceptance of a state of chaos.

“When it comes to connecting with ancestors, … being able to reconnect with them through fire and hot steel, through pain because I burned myself the same way they burned themselves, … it’s an interesting way of getting to live as they lived,” Hammer said.

Hammer, a modern pagan practitioner, makes many spiritual objects alongside secular recreations of historical objects that were used practically, such as blanket pins, hooks and iron utensils.

You can purchase and commission work from Hammer on his website, lifecraftcolorado.com, or through his growing TikTok page @northernraven1.

Reach Max Hogan at entertainment@collegian.com.

Blacksmith Raven Hammer bends a twisted rod to create a Norse World Serpent Feb. 8. Hammer loves history, especially the Viking Age, and uses blacksmithing as a way to connect with his spirituality. PHOTO BY MAX HOGAN THE COLLEGIAN

“I connect with my ancestors every single time I fire up my forge, which is a big deal, again, to folks who lean into my realm of spirituality.”

RAVEN HAMMER

LOCAL BLACKSMITH

WEEKLY HOROSCOPE

By Hailee Stegall

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY

(02/17/22) of others does not invalidate your own and may even give you a stronger platform to stand on.

PISCES (FEB. 19 - MARCH 20)

Pisces, start something new. It’s almost your birthday season, so starting something you’ve always wanted to do is a good early present to yourself.

ARIES (MARCH 21 - APRIL 19)

What do your friends mean to you, Aries? Show those closest to you how much you care about them — remember, we’re all just people.

TAURUS (APRIL 20 - MAY 20)

Taurus, let yourself feel things. It’s OK to take some time away from work or school to process your emotions and have a mental health day.

GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUNE 20)

Have a little faith, Gemini. Sit back and look at the world through rose-colored glasses; nothing is nearly as bad as it may seem.

CANCER (JUNE 21 - JULY 22)

Cancer, get out there this week. Express yourself however you want, regardless of what you're afraid others might think. Be yourself.

LEO (JULY 23 - AUG. 22)

Compromise is the key to relationships, Leo. Instead of "my way or the highway," try to accept and try out other peoples' ways of doing things.

VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEPT. 22)

Virgo, lean into the fact that you’re a creature of habit. Going outside your comfort zone is good, but right now you should just do what you do best.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23 - OCT. 22)

Take a chance, Libra — you might be used to just coasting through life, but do at least one thing that you normally wouldn’t.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)

Scorpio, emotional pathways are opening up for you. You currently have the vocabulary and the means to let others know how you feel.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 -

DEC. 21) What does home mean to you, Sagittarius? Spruce up your living space, make a meal from your childhood or just do something cozy.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN.

19) Capricorn, don’t abandon your morals. It may be tempting to push your boundaries for a night out or a significant other, but resist it.

CAMPUS CREATIVES

Clara Hatton Gallery’s new exhibit explores the art of sound

By Kadyn Thorpe

@thorpekadyn

Art is in the eye of the beholder — or rather, in this case, the ear. Creating art through noise is what “Affective Tone” is all about.

Denver-based artist Adán De La Garza, who is “an anonymous member of the curatorial Collective Misnomer,” according to the Colorado State University art and art history website, created an art exhibition currently being presented at the Clara Hatton Gallery on campus. In his exhibition, De La Garza uses one of our main five senses: hearing. Hearing is important in how we connect to the world, and De La Garza hopes it will help you connect to his latest exhibition.

De La Garza doesn’t take inspiration from any one person. With inspiration coming from a variety of sources, he created something completely original. This exhibition is likely to be one you have never experienced before.

“I try to consume as much art as possible and tend not to focus exclusively on specific artists and primary sources of inspiration,” De La Garza wrote in an email to The Collegian.

“Affective Tone” is a gallery exhibition that showcases the impacts of sound on the population. De La Garza combines “noise music and military-influenced sonic warfare” to express his art, according to CSU art and art history.

Sonic warfare is the use of sound to express threats or create a feeling of discomfort and fear. This weaponization of sound is something the artist hoped to bring to his audience’s attention, as it has the ability to manipulate populations.

From now until Feb. 25, exhibitgoers can embark on a journey through sound with this display. De La Garza established a punk-ethos approach to his exhibition, which introduces a noncorporatist and nonconformity subculture.

De La Garza’s exhibition provides his audience with a distressing feeling when they enter. In this experience, people are met with darkness and struck with an overload of indescribable sounds, connecting the place where noise music and sonic warfare meet.

“(‘Affective Tone’) deliberately uses noise as a preparatory measure to understand the impending infliction of sonic warfare on citizens,” De La Garza wrote.

With the use of speakers previously used by the military, De La Garza hopes to deepen the population’s understanding of how sound can be used as a weapon.

The brain interprets different tones in different ways. When people hear a sound like birds chirping in the morning or the crunch of a leaf on a fall day, they are met with feelings of joy and comfort. When people hear nails scratching on a chalkboard or feedback from a microphone, they cringe.

The sounds you hear every day contribute to your mood and overall well-being. When experiencing this exhibition, you’re immersed in sounds that make your mind wander to far-off war zones or uncomfortable places.

De La Garza is currently teaching in the art department at Colorado State University and is a visiting artist at the Hatton Gallery. To get a better understanding of De La Garza’s vision, check out his exhibition and see for yourself how noise can be more than just sound.

This exhibition and De La Garza’s artist talk are one part of CSU’s Engaged Art Walk initiative. Additionally, they are one of many efforts from the department of art and art history to embrace diversity, equity, inclusion and justice on campus.

If you enjoy the exhibition, be sure to check out De La Garza’s website to view his other works of art that push the limits of conformity. The Clara Hatton Gallery showcases different exhibits and hosts several student workshops all year long.

Reach Kadyn Thorpe at entertainment@collegian.com.

Entrance to the Clara Hatton Gallery provides information on the exhibition and upcoming artist talks Feb. 15. The gallery has low lighting, which is used to focus on the sounds in the exhibition. PHOTO BY KOTA BABCOCK THE COLLEGIAN

RAM RECIPES

Simply Cooking: Stuffed ricotta and spinach shells

GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY TRIN BONNER THE COLLEGIAN

By Sierra Grimm

@csuram5

Stuffed shells are a classic. They are also my new favorite comfort food.

I’ve come to learn lately that if I don’t like something, it is either because I don’t know how to make it or I have really failed at it and do not want to attempt it anymore. Well, make another attempt because this stuffed shell recipe is for any skill level. However, these aren’t just any stuffed shells — these are homemade stuffed shells that you (later on down the way) will crave and want to bake for yourself, for a party or for your neighbor. They’re that good. They’re creamy, easy and delicious — almost restaurant quality, if you ask me.

I’ve always loved getting stuffed shells when I am out to eat, as they seemed nearly impossible to make at home — until they weren’t. In fact, they are just as easy as making a bowl of spaghetti with red sauce. I was blown away at the outcome and the efficiency of them; you’ll take that first bite and be impressed you did that.

This recipe will absolutely have leftovers for a few days, so no need to worry too much about cooking the week you make them. They’re even better on day three, when flavors are bursting. Let’s get cooking. Ingredients:

■ 2 cups ricotta cheese ■ 1 teaspoon oregano ■ 1/3 teaspoon chili flakes ■ 1 teaspoon salt ■ 1 teaspoon ground pepper ■ 2 cups Rao’s Homemade tomato sauce ■ Mozzarella cheese (optional) Directions 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 2. Fill one large pot with water and bring to a boil. 3. Add jumbo stuffed shells into water, and boil for 16 minutes on medium-high heat. Stir occasionally. 4. In a smaller pan, on medium heat, add olive oil and spinach. Cook until soft. 5. Grab a large mixing bowl, and add in ricotta and cooked spinach. Fold those ingredients together until thoroughly mixed. 6. Add oregano, chili flakes, salt and pepper into the ricotta mix. 7. By this point, the shells should be cooked through. Drain any excess water and set it aside. 8. Next, you will need a large 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Add marinara sauce to the bottom of this pan before adding the shells. 9. Take a spoon and stuff your shells evenly with ricotta mix until all are filled. 10. Place each stuffed shell facing up on the pan. At this point, you can add mozzarella on top for more gooey goodness, or leave it as is. 11. Place shells into the oven. Cook for 20-25 minutes. 12. Once finished cooking, allow shells to sit for about 10 minutes to cool. 13. Enjoy! Add foil or cover, and save up to three days in the fridge.

Reach Sierra Grimm at entertainment@collegian.com.

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