Notes on Metallic Affect: Metallurgy and New Materialism

Abstract

This paper follows Theodore Wertime, twentieth century historian of metallurgy, spy turned survivalist. Wertime's fascination with metallurgy is related to the Smith in Deleuze and Guattari and the mythical Alchemist of Mircea Eliade's work; also explored are notions of the Cyborg and of Geotrauma. Wertime's work presages a conception of the anthropocene and presumes fatal entanglement between humans and the tools they use.