Honors Advanced Sculpture Students Bend and Braze Metal for Copper Knots Project
September 2, 2026
This week, Honors Advanced Sculpture students tackled their first-ever metal fabrication assignment: the "Copper Knot." The visual arts studio challenged students to explore a medium most were unfamiliar with, bringing an intricate design to life using new techniques like brazing and soldering.
Inspired by the intricate, line-based installations of British sculptor Julian Wild, the project serves as a crucial rite of passage for upperclassmen in the program. To complete the sculptures, students learned the delicate technique of brazing, also known as sweat soldering, to manipulate non-ferrous metals like copper.
The hands-on process requires students to carefully heat copper pipes with a torch before applying solder, allowing capillary action to draw the molten metal into the joint. Beyond its artistic application, it is a technical skill with real-world crossover; master the copper knot, and a student is well on their way to tackling home plumbing repairs.
"This is the first project where my students work with fire and metal," said Eagle Family Visual Art Department Chair and Upper School Fine Art Teacher Dane Larsen. "It's also the final project before they get more freedom to propose their own ideas."
As the last rigid assignment in the curriculum, the copper knot requires strict adherence to specific materials, safety protocols, and technical procedures. Once the final pipes are soldered and polished to a shine, the young artists transition into the independent phase of the course, where they will design, pitch, and execute their own original concepts for the remainder of the semester.
