Alan Williams metal artist- Anglerfish sculpture project

Alan Williams is a British metal artist based in Sussex, specialising in sculptures made from reclaimed mechanical salvage. His recent 21-inch anglerfish sculpture transforms typewriter parts, copper immersion tanks, motorbike and bicycle spokes, gears, cutlery, and forged nails into a predatory, luminous form. As a metal artist, Williams deliberately repurposes these materials, designing the body, fins, and functional LED lure to create a piece that merges mechanical history with biological narrative.

ANGLER FISH (Collection)

Every component in this anglerfish carries its own past. As a British metal artist, I’m drawn to materials that have already lived a life. Typewriter keys and arms once struck words, letters, stories, poetry, the hidden narratives of countless people. When I use these components to form the body of the fish, I’m not just creating structure; I’m giving those histories a new shape. The repetitive patterns of typewriter mechanisms become almost vertebral, echoing the rhythm of life and language.

Designing the Body from Typewriter Mechanisms

The typewriter parts were deliberately chosen for their mechanical logic. Keys, arms, and linkages naturally create repetition and symmetry, which I repurpose to form the anglerfish’s body. As a metal artist, I’m interested in reassigning engineering function to biological form. What once articulated language now becomes the vertebral structure of a creature that survives in darkness, demonstrating the adaptability and resilience of both materials and design.

Engineering the Fins from Spokes and Copper

Motorbike and bicycle spokes provide the ridges of the fins. Their original design, meant to bear tension and radial stress, makes them perfect for sculptural fin structures. Behind them, sections of a copper immersion tank create a warm visual contrast against the steel. This interplay of colou

r and material reflects my practice as a metal artist: considering not just form, but how industrial logic and aesthetic choice intersect.

A Functional Lure: Light in Mechanical Form

The anglerfish’s defining feature is its lure. Made from 8mm copper tube, it houses a small battery-operated LED, activated by a simple twist. No visible switch, no gimmicks — just precise, functional design. Light in the darkness, powered by reclaimed material, reinforces the sculpture’s narrative. As a metal artist, I find it satisfying when mechanical ingenuity and poetic metaphor coexist in a single form.