Dang Rich I am agreeing to what you just said.

I know that whenever I am bidding on a project I describe my kind of work "fabricated" metal sculptures. This is to separate from the cast sculptures. Most folks think that all metal sculptures are cast. Even while at art fairs folks will ask how did I cast that piece and you can clearly see welds and hammer marks.

Now how it is fabricated is as varying as how many different kind of brush strokes used by painters. The techniques used by a metal artist are their brush strokes.

I am nobody famous but a while back I did a little book on this type of thing. Surprising the various outcomes. Here is the cover of my book and rest of pictures are in the same gallery.
http://www.artmetal.com/images/metal_books_exhibition/warren/2007/06/the_cover

www Metalrecipes -- heat and beat to the desired shape, repeat as necessary.
warren

Stephen Fitz-Gerald
I'll agree with Warren in that when discussing metal sculpture the term "fabricated"distinguishes the method of construction from casting. And as is so often the case we as artists are called upon much of the time to EDUCATE the public about these processes.

double

Just for what it is worth, there is also the process of metal sculptures by the term "Direct Metal Sculptures". I feel is probably the closest to actually sculpturing the metal. The process is usually using a O/A torch and puddle welding a base metal to form a sculpture. Quite different from fabricated. But yet you are still fabricating but not making fabricated sculptures.

www Metalrecipes -- heat and beat to the desired shape, repeat as necessary.
warren

As Jake says, fabrication, in metalwork terms, sculpture or otherwise is generally accepted as making or creating something using "off the shelf" metal, whether it be sheet,plate,bar (solid round or square)flat,angle,tube,box section,(square or rectangular),this could be steel,mild or stainless,aluminium,copper,bronze,brass or something more exotic, by cutting,drilling, bending,machining,welding etc but,generally speaking,not changing the basic cross section the metal was supplied in.
As opposed to Forging,where the metal can be made thicker,thinner,round can become square in places(& vice versa) in other words into which ever shape the forger, sculptor wishes. It can still also be cut, punched, welded and bent but by changing the cross section by forging,all of which are hand skills,this differentiates it from fabricating.
Some things,sculpture or otherwise are best done by forging,and some are best done by fabricating.
This is just my long held perception,I am sure others hold different views just as valid.
David.

There`s a thread on Iforgeiron.com now that speaks to this type of question except that the title has something to do with blurring the lines between forging and fabrication.
One of the best answers there was when a member broke metalwork down into 3 basic types of work;
Additive-such as welding where 2 or more pieces were joined
Subtractive-mostly applied to machining such as cutting, drilling,milling or turning where metal is removed.
Modifying-where the parent metal has it`s shape changed such as forging,chasing,repousse and raising.

The trick is to know when each process is appropriate and most efficient for the work being done.
Obviously one,two or all three processes can be used on any project.