Linda Stein's "Self Portrait with Blades" is included in her current exhibit "BLADES."

Linda Stein never has to ask people what they think of her work. "Avant garde," "adventurous," "eerie," "hopeful," "paranoid" and "militant" are words people use to describe Stein's steel blade sculptures.

A lifelong artist who earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens College, Stein began creating metal and wood sculptures in 1989, using machetes and other unlikely ingredients, such as soda cans, keys and metal calligraphy plates -  even the guts of an old IBM typewriter.

Her new sculpture exhibition, BLADES, at the Jamaica Arts Center, explores everyday conflicts: masculinity and femininity, passivity and aggression, power and vulnerability.

"We exist in this funny world in such contradiction," Stein said in a recent telephone interview. "In some ways we're strong and aggressive.  In other ways, we're shy and meek. I confront this in my art."

To create her sculptures, Stein imports machetes from China. She dulls the blades for safety and begins a long process of welding and epoxying materials together to form fragile, graceful shapes which are suspended from the ceiling.

"There's a curve in the machete blade that I love," she explained. "I forget they're machete blades and enjoy the shapes."

In addition to aesthetic enjoyment, Stein said, she gets fulfillment from seeing people's reactions to the juxtaposition of cold, hard metal against the softer, organic wood.

"The machete blade represents strength, aggression and potential violence to me,"  Stein said.

"By fusing the steel with soft, curvilinear wood forms and suspending the sculptures, I neutralize the destructive potential."

By conducting panel discussions and providing sign-in sheets, Stein uses each show to build a "dialogue" between herself and the viewer, which she said gives her inspiration.

The responses range from one-word comments to longer analyses. One viewer wrote a poem on the spot to show her feelings.

Many times the comments are intimate. After seeing one installation, a viewer wrote that she was a rape victim and the metal, fused with the wood, had a soothing effect, Stein said.

"Every day we're hearing about violence," Stein said. "Women feel vulnerable. I like to be intimate with the audience and discuss our fears and strengths."

"BLADES" runs through May 14 at the Jamaica Arts Center, 161-04 Jamaica Ave., Jamaica. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.  Call 658-7400.

Greg Gattuso is a free-lance writer.