! how did david smith begin to use metal as his medium? what were his sources of inspiration?

David Smith was an American sculptor and painter, best known for his large steel abstract geometric sculptures. One of the most important American sculptors of the twentieth century, he was the first to construct welded metal sculptures in America. His experience working in a car body workshop gave him the skills to use metal as his medium. His first sources of inspiration were the welded-steel industrial sculptures of Pablo Picasso and Julio Gonzalez. These artists, along with the Russian constructivists, inspired him to create these abstract revolutionary art forms.