Sharing a deeper look into my work and my process

My goal is to create groundbreaking sculptural forms by expanding my materials' perceived physical and conceptual limits. 

From day one woodworking teaches you to cut, mill and join wood together as flat, straight and square as possible using equipment almost exclusively designed for these purposes. These machines and hand tools were designed this way for good reasons, one being that the cellular structures of trees lend themselves to being cut into linear forms... Imagine a long bundle of extremely rigid drinking straws all fused together. This initial introduction and foundation instills a way of thinking about furniture making and design that is also linear. In addition, straight lines are easier to measure, cut, assemble and imagine in your designs. 

Complex three dimensional free form curves, twists and bends are exceedingly more difficult to conceptualize and even harder to create using a material that seems to do everything in its power to return to its original linear form. Furthermore throughout the history of furniture design we have little to no examples of these aesthetics.

We do have plenty of examples of simple bends and curves in furniture design, and there are 3 main methods used to create them. The first is to simply cut a curve, this method is the most limiting and has nearly no room to evolve. The second is steam bending, however after many failed attempts I found it has severe limitations and therefore it was not possible to create my vision with this process. The third is laminations, this is the method I am pushing the boundaries of and expanding upon.

I would characterize my work as antithetical. Minimal, seemingly effortless forms are created through a high degree of stress and force. I’m exploring a deep fascination with the way soul, and movement can be observed in an immobile object. The visceral dichotomy between these opposing elements occupies a space that has little to do with conscious thought. This concept is particularly apparent in my materials’ previous forms. Trees, in all their many configurations, are perhaps the most meaningful example of this experience. Our perception of a tree is a motionless living being, however a tree is an almost constant state of movement, expressed through forms dictated by the elements and years of growth. The final component of illumination deepens this response, accentuating the work's essential nature. 

My work is created by sequentially deconstructing and then reconstructing layers of wood while bending them into free flowing compositions. I hand sculpt the entire length of each piece using files, rasps, hand planes, spokeshaves, and scrapers. As I continue to develop this work, I conduct experiments with varying degrees of success. Wood is a complex, organic substance with inherent properties. Its anatomy and breaking points inform and persuade the work’s overall compositions. The innovation in creating this work lies in the unconventional thinking required to discover and refine processes that both overcome and honor the wood's suggestive nature, while at the same time conceptualizing new and unique artistic forms within my medium.