John McArthur – Reclaimed Metal Art

Step into the wonderfully imaginative world of John McArthur, where discarded metal is reborn as playful, intricate works of art. Based in Twizel, John has spent more than 30 years transforming scrap into sculpture – seeing not rubbish, but possibility. A fallen iron becomes a jet boat; a toaster turns into an ornate caravan; bicycles, colanders and steel offcuts find new life as garden ornaments, jewellery and bold statement pieces. His creations are a true expression of the saying one person’s trash is another’s treasure.

John’s home has become an unexpected Mackenzie attraction, with his front yard at 64 Totara Drive in Twizel serving as a constantly evolving outdoor gallery. Visitors regularly stop to photograph his quirky, character-filled sculptures, some of which now live as far away as overseas. Every piece is entirely unique – from delicate, light items welded on his kitchen bench during winter, to monumental sculptures weighing hundreds of kilograms, crafted in his garage.

A welder by trade and an artist by instinct, John works with metal because, as he puts it, others may love flowers or jewellery – he loves steel. He scours scrap yards for pieces that spark his imagination, drawn to the endless possibilities of shape, colour and form. In an age where traditional craft skills are becoming rare, John’s reclaimed metal art stands as both a celebration of welding and a testament to a mind that sees the extraordinary in the overlooked.