Alexander Barratt

Over the course of the last 13 years, Alexander has worked and studied a within a variety of areas, primarily these have all centred around craft practice and the use of digital process alongside traditional analogue techniques.

Starting from a period of work experience with a local blacksmith which progressed to an informal apprenticeship and introduced him to forged process and fabrication, as well as attending a fine art foundation and studying fine jewellery, Alexander eventually ended up studying for his BA in artist blacksmithing at Hereford College of Arts.

This was the point where  Alexander began to utilise CAD within his work as a means to visualise, conceptualise and develop a sense of scale and functionality. He then progressed on from his BA degree to study for his Master's in Contemporary Craft. It was here that Alexander began to utilise additive manufacturing as a way of producing components that were not readily available to purchase.

It was at this point that digital began to hold its own within Alexander's practice, as before it had been secondary and filled a more tertiary position. Towards the end of study, he was offered the opportunity to exhibit at Designers Blok 2015 for reduced cost and jumped at the opportunity. Here, Alexander utilised this as a way of showcasing his work to date and it was here that the introduction to BCU came about.

Based of work shown, Alexander landed a temporary position as a technician in the ADM workshops, allowing him to begin to work within the field he had studied! From here, Alexander progressed to a senior position based in CAD/CAM but also drawing on metalworking skills and allowing him to continue to develop his practice.

After a time in the position and looking for a way to progress further in his career, Alexander began to consider a PhD and began to refine a working concept which has evolved to focus on the integration of digital and traditional process primarily that of additive manufacturing and forged ironworking.