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January 2007
Open and Closed in Fir (2007) I am always pushing the limit of what woods can be successfully turned. These pieces are of Douglas Fir, one of the materials I am focusing on. Typically this wood is considered to be too difficult to work with for woodturning, but through much time and effort I find the stunning results can be well worthwhile. This pair is a recent example of that, and are the first ones of their kind in the world. To add to the challenge of working with Douglas Fir, only a small percentage of the logs I encounter offer me grain that is visually suitable for such time consuming work. These pieces represent many tons of wood that I have brought to the studio. The pair was created specifically for the current exhibit "Open and Closed" which is a combined exhibit of ceramic and wood turning artists exploring the notion of vessel open and closeness. Here is my artist's statement from that show: As an artist, my passion is the exploration of the quiet power of understated form. The dance at the lathe - from the powerful aggression of the roughing stages to the state of near meditation during the final shaping of the pieces - are every bit as important to my daily journey as the finished piece. I feel both mentally and spiritually energized and centered as I quiet my mind and watch my hands and body work, drawing energy from the spinning wood. There are many aspects of a vessel which influence the emotional impact on a viewer, but none more than our perception of the inner volume that a vessel suggests. The more open the vessel, the more it serves as a two dimensional object in space – primarily visual and perhaps intellectual in impact. A closed vessel not only commands the space around it more forcefully, but it also has the additional emotional power of what it contains – with the viewer reacting to it as if it were a living organism. The greatest power comes from the balance and contrast of open and closed. My two pieces in Open and Closed are from the same tree and share strong similarities in design, including that both pieces have been sandblasted on the inside surface creating a ribbed texture. Whereas this texture strengthens the visual impact of the inner surface of the open vessel, the same treatment actually enhances one's perception of the outer surface of the closed piece by increasing the tactile contrast between that surface and the more hidden inner surface. The similarities of the two vessels suggest a “community,” and thus the enhanced rim and inside surface of the open piece join together with the stoic profile and volume of the taller closed vessel to make a richer and more engaging overall statement than either piece on its own.
The price is $2750. for the pair.
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