Thinking in terms of steel
Working the steel with iron processing tools can be a sobering, difficult and time-consuming activity. This is because the way from the basic conceptual idea to the finished product is prolonged by the demanding technical processes involved, which require a great deal of endurance on the part of the artists. Among the many basic approaches to artistic metal sculpturing the following two stand out:
1. The creative process may take its inception in a concept. In that case the basic idea is already realised in the form of a sketch or model. However, models can only provide a sketchy outline of the shape and effect of the actual sculpture. The model is then scaled up to the appropriate size. This way, the design process precedes the actual production, which allows for the individual procedures to be planned precisely in advance. This method is particularly suitable for creating large-scale sculptures.

2. A second method consists in approaching the creative process spontaneously, thus allowing the basic idea and the shapes to evolve during the production phase. Obviously, factors such as experimentation, randomness and the materials provided play a pivotal role in this approach, as they constantly influence the overall concept. Usually one particular object from the scrap yard's inventory becomes the starting point for a visual idea, which is then worked out in the materials provided. By being placed in this new context, the objects may attain a special artistic value. This approach allows the artists to respond to the material, its weight, density, surface structure and other qualities. The creative process usually leads to a mutual corrective influence of active work and contemplation. Without contemplative "off-the-cuff" reflection creativity is impossible. Adorno once commented on this fact by stating that "only dilettantes will attribute all aspects of art to the unconscious." (Adorno 1970, p. 21).

The works of the artists who come to Riedersbach cannot all be filed under either of the categories mentioned above. Rather, working methods tend to be changed and recombined during the weeks and months that the artists spend at the Stahlpark. Often the method of choice is a combination of both the conceptual and the spontaneous approach. The organiser of the Steel Workshops, Karlheinz Schönswetter, does not require the artists to favour either method. However, in the 5-day seminars he conducts – some of which are held under the auspices of the Paedagigic Institute of Linz – his focus is on the spontaneous working method, as his students are typically not yet familiar with the specifics of the material and the metal working techniques.
At any rate, the work process itself means getting creative with the material – an intensive, on-the-edge type of experience that inevitably exerts the artists both physically and mentally.