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Featured Piece - August 2007 (posted 8/19)
This upright vessel sits on a small flat base, necessitated by the relative height of the piece. The surface treatment is similar to my Winter Solstice series in that the oak has been sandblasted, bleached and then the surface has been sanded back to reveal contrasting patterns in the wood. Those patterns include both the grain lines and the medullary rays that radiate out from the top center of the vessel/tree. See below for a close up image of the piece. My deliberate orientation of the piece within the massive log, in concert with techniques I've developed to influence the drying process, have infused the piece with an extra motion and life. In the uncompromising pursuit of excellence, I must be willing to reduce the "margin of error" and thus increase the risk of the inevitable failures that occur when the material distorts in a way that is not pleasing as a vessel overall. Without embracing the gamble (and losses) incurred when pushing the envelop in regard to a powerful form, a truly successful statement of quiet yet raw energy and power would not be possible. I could simply play it safe, creating vessels rounder in profile, but the results would never have the same edgy command of space. For me the ongoing decision of taking risks in my work is easy--there really is no choice.
A close up shot, showing the open grain of the wood and the medullary rays.
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All rights reserved ©Bill Luce, 2007 |
