Booth # 2436

May 19-22

Hours

Trade Registration

Open to the public on Tuesday the 22nd

Featured pieces

Bench #15 Series #1
Sapele, Stainless Steel, White Cast Concrete 32″H x 87″W x 17″D

Doors To My Past
White Oak, Mahogany, Ash 108H x 198″W x 2 1/4″D

I am pleased to announce that I will be participating in the Architectural Digest Home Design Show in New York City. I will be debuting 6 new pieces including the Curved Glass Hall Table

If you would like complimentary tickets please send me an email.

Architectural Digest Home Design Show 2012

March 22-25 Pier 94 New York City

55th Street at 12th Ave

Thursday -0Saturday 10am – 7pm Sunday 10am – 6pm

More information

My tables have demonstrated a progression:

The first tables that I designed took advantage of the clear nature of glass to reveal the complex movement of the structure below the table.

I revisited the Glass Hall Table format and demonstrated a different approach to the wooden structure.

Glass Hall Table
Maple and Glass 35″H x 54″W x 15″D

View Piece

I began to think about ways to bring the glass into the composition. I used tow moments to embrace and wrap the ends of the glass in wood. This approach started to make the glass an integral part of the composition, not just a functional surface.

Cocktail Table
Sapele and Glass 20″H x 62″W x 32D

View Piece

The progression continued with the cocktail table. I used a singular moment to bring the leg and stretcher overt the tables surface.

Curved Dovetail Console Table
Sapele and Glass 38″H x 70″W x 15″D

View Piece

This is a bit out of order,but in terms of progression it is next. I now have taken the step to have the glass cut to a unique shape. The result is that the glass becomes part of the composition in a different way. I felt that this piece was very successful and i am feeling emboldened to pursue a larger table with a piece of shaped glass.

Pedestal Table #9
MAple and Glass 30″H x 20″W x 20″D

View Piece

I wrapped the box in Bubinga veneer after cutting the end of the box to give it an unusual angle more in keeping with my design sense. The rest of the piece is made of cherry and ash. the two woods highlight the shifting overlap that is characteristic of my work. The ends of the cherry boards end in decorative dovetails. This treatment of dovetails is quite unique and becomes a central part of the composition. Another version of unusual dovetails appear on the sculpted drawer front.

A few years ago I revisited the format with a slightly different approach. The first piece gained a lot of attention with the drawer being at the core of the experience. I have always liked to overlap parts so it seemed natural to introduce a second drawer. This time I used a single color of wood for the shifting frame. This field of dark, oxidized, sapele set up a perfect contrast with the yellow shimmer of the avodire veneer of the drawer boxes. The drawers became even more interactive as they open in radically different directions.

Mirror With Two Drawers
Sapele, Avodire and Mirror 72″H x 15″W x 15″D

View Piece. Mirror with Two Drawers

Leaning Dovetails
Cherry 36″H x 17″W x 20″D

I recently added the Leaning Dovetails to my website. I completed the piece a few years ago but it had not made its way onto this version of my website. The catalyst was it’s inclusion in a show at the Silas Marder Gallery. The Leaning Dovetails had a prime position and I was delighted to see this piece again with fresh eyes. Pat Rogers of the Hamptons Art Hub included the piece in her rundown of the Thanksgiving art events. View Story

The leaning Dovetails are based on a notion that has crept into a number of my pieces. That notion is the dovetail as more than a structural joint. My approach transforms them into a landscape within a larger composition. I think of them in terms of a painting: like an interior still life in which the artist introduces a window or a painting on the wall, thus adding a composition within the composition.

The Leaning Dovetails connect to the wall with a clip that is hidden within the thickness of the cherry wood. The mass of the piece comes off the wall in an unusual angle. This sets up the possibility for the piece to immediately become noticed by anyone in the room. The angled thrust pushed all the way down to the floor where the piece adopt a delicate, expressive, stance.

The result is a bench that I am very proud of. Bench #3 often has a hard time being noticed in my chronology because it is sandwiched between to 10′ long benches that have both been features at the LongHouse Reserve in East hampton NY. I thought I would take a moment to revisit the bench.

Bench #3 from my portfolio

Bench #3 Series #2
Mahogany and Cast Concrete 17″H x 84″W x 22″D

The bench features an asymmetrical top that has a pleasing angle towards the middle. All of the benches in this series are designed to be capable of outdoor use. The angle of the seat serves double duty, comfort and the ability to shed water. The connection to the concrete represents one of those structural moments that becomes an essential part of the design. Structural decoration as I call it. The legs are bolted to a piece of mahogany that adds to the visual thickness and rhythm of the top.

Below is another example of Bench #3. This platform is very flexible and I am able to offer custom combinations of woods, color of concrete and size. My work is all one-of-a-kind so this sort of client involvement is part of the experience.

Finally Bench #3 from Series #2 is a very capable outdoor bench. Here are some pictures from an installation at the Berkshire Botanical Gardens. Please note that benches are made as either indoor or outdoor benches. The outdoor version can always go indoors but the indoor version can not make the reverse journey.

More information is available in my portfolio site

in Sapele

in Cherry

Construction from my blog

These corner pieces both evolved from the corner piece pictured below. The introduction of cast concrete into my worked opened the doe to the evolution of the form. The concrete helped create the stable foundation of the piece. The rest of the detailing evolves to tie into the concrete element and provide the elements required for each version of the piece to be unique.

I am planning on visiting the series again in the near future.

Corner Piece #3
Sapele, Bleached Ash and White Cast Concrete 60″H x 18″W x 18″D

Corner Piece #3 cherry

Cherry 60″H x 18″W x 18″D

Curved Coffee Table

Mahogany 18″H x 60″W x 45″D

The table features the shifting, stacking and faceting that is characteristic of my structural style. Each component in the table serves double duty, structure and detail. The necessary result of this approach to composition is that I become necessary at the time of construction. The result is a one-of-a-kind piece every time. Another benefit is absolute freedom in the design and construction process. Different woods, sizes and details are not only possible, they are encouraged.

The surface of the table is an unusual shape that features deep facets on the working surface of the table. The result is that the structure of the top is revealed and the composition creeps into a most unexpected place. I like to use the familiarity of my subject to challenge the viewers expectations.

The detailing of the composition extends under the table rewarding the person who takes the time to have a look. This sort of detailing is also revealed by touch. Often the warmth of the wood and the silky finish will catch someones attention. The action under the table is then revealed by touch.

More information:

Curved Coffee Table in my portfolio

10 part blog post detailing the construction of the table

I will be showing two planters that were held over from the Sculpture show and my Leaning Dovetail Table pictured below.

Chair #5
Maple, 26″H x 12″W x 14″D

I recently took on the challenge of designing a chair for a child. The fun part is that the client donated them to benefit the Ross School in East Hampton NY. It was so much fun! I really enjoyed the challenge of designing the chairs and incorporating my asymmetrical style with the necessities of the intended audience. One of the first realizations was that the chair would need a wood seat. There was a yogurt incident in my own house that proved the point that children and upholstery is a dangerous combination! I find the all maple look of the chair sets up a nice neutral field that allows my detailing to pop.

Chair #5 is small but it expresses everything I understand about chairs. The form is what I would call “traditional” and is based on the classic wood chair. I choose to work within those confines and strive to find a way to express something more. The asymmetrical detailing that i apply to the components that make up the chair set the process in motion. Each movement is balanced by a complimentary movement on a different part of the chair. The conversation turns from chair and function to me and my desire to express spontaneous action in my work.

In the end, each chair records a different set of events. Each chair is unique. The story becomes more clear as the second chair is compared tot he first. The more i make the more it becomes clear that the chair is a system to me. That system is the platform for expressing something in the moment. This is not just my approach to chairs but to furniture as a whole.

Chair #5 on my website

I could not resist taking some shots with my boys once the chairs were up on the backdrop! Here are some of the highlights.

Please have a look at this PDF version of the Magazine Hand/Eye 06

Please consider subscribing

Please help spread the word!

thanks

Nico

There wil be an opening reception on August 6 from 5-9pm. I will be in attendance!

The artists include:

The Silas Marder Gallery

The White Hot and Blue 20th Anniversary celebration at the LongHouse Reserve was last night in East Hampton NY. Jack Lenor Larsen and the countless people who staged this event were favored with a perfect evening. Even the weather cooperated!

The event started off in a unique way with performers from the Big Apple Circus scattered around the grounds. We were greeted by this performer as we entered the garden.

Philanthropist Barbara Slifka was honored by the LongHouse Reserve. The Principals from the New York City Ballet made the journey east to perform in celebration of Barbara and her generosity over the years. Ballet in the open air was a real treat!

The highlight for me was the Dale Chihuly installation of Blue and Purple Boat, 2006. I had been approached by the team at the longhouse about moving my bench so that it would have a better relationship to the floating sculpture. I made my way over to the LongHouse in about 5 minutes to move my bench! Here are the results.

Bench #4 with Dale Chihuly Purple and Blue Boat, 2006

From the LHR about Dale Chihuly:

Creative genius, Dale Chihuly (b. 1941), is the most innovative and influential American artist working in glass today.  Introduced to the medium while studying interior design at the University of Washington, Chihuly is the quintessential force behind the movement to change the very dimension and definition of blown glass into a large-scale art form. He revolutionized the oeuvre from solo studio-glass practitioner to that of using a collaborative team to help him produce his work. His dramatic and colorfully amorphous art forms attract a world-wide audience.

I hope that my mirror sold at the auction! Thanks you LongHouse for a fabulous evening!

The Online auction to benefit the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton NY is now live and online! I have enjoyed having my work at the LHR but more than anything I have enjoyed every event I have attended there. This year I have donated a piece to the annual auction thatI hope will help contribute to the programs at the LongHouse.

Click here to see which piece I have donated and please consider buying something to benefit the LongHouse. But wait there is more! If the winning bidder is going to install the piece on the East End I will personally come over and hang it!

Good Luck!

Nico

Bench #4 at the LongHouse

Planters #5 and 6 at the LongHouse

Here is a sneak peak of Planter #5

Planter #6

If you can make it to the LongHouse on Saturday for the opening you will be able to see them with all of the other fabulous work.

Please contact the LongHouse Reserve for Hours and directions.

More information is available at NextWaveFurniture.org

I introduced two new planters at the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton NY. The planters were included in the annual exhibit Planters On & Off The Ground. I have participated in the show for three consecutive years. The first planter in the series was made independent of the show. The subsequent 5 planters came into existence because of this exhibit. Many thanks to Jack Lenor Larsen, staff and countless volunteers for their efforts.

My approach to the planter as sculptural object has evolved over the years. This years installment is exploring a larger scale. The size posed numbers design challenges that had to be overcome. I am very pleased with the results and feel that the size is appropriate for these unique containers.

Planter #5 is made of Cast Concrete and Sapele. The Concrete is cast in four separate sections and it is then bolted together. This technique has enabled me to increase the scale of my planters. The dimensions are 30″ wide 24″ deep and 30″ high.

Planter #6 is the biggest yet! It is 60″ high and the tips of the bent boards are about 40″ across. The materials are cast concrete and Sapele.

It is finally feeling like summer and I have been getting ready for a few events.

I have built two chairs for children. That are being donate to the fundraiser for the Ross School.

I have also been working on new planters for the Planters on and Off the Ground Show At the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton NY. Here is a sneak peak of the scale models.

Enjoy the warm weather!

ICFF Booth 2541

Glass Hall Table
Maple and Glass 35H x 54W x 15D

More information on this modern console table can be found in my portfolio

If you are in New York City the week of May 14-17 please come by the Jacob K Javits Center to check out the Furniture New York booth

ICFF information

Furniture New York information

Bench #4 from bench Series #2 will be on display for the 2011-2012 seasons. More information on Bench #4 at the LongHouse Reserve

The LongHouse is open April 30 to October 8

Wednesday and Saturday 2-5pm

July and August Wednesday through Saturday

Admission is $10- $8 for seniors or free to members.

I brought a second piece over to the Tripoli Gallery of Contemporary Art In Southampton NY. The new piece is a cocktail table in Sapele. The new table continues the exploration of glass and curved wood that I have been into recently. The Curved Dovetail Console Table is this tables predecessor.

I am very happy with the way that the two pieces look among the paintings so if you are in Southampton stop by and check out the galley.

Tripoli Gallery

Curved Cocktail Table
Sapele and Glass, 20″H x 62″W x 32″D

Bench #1 from Bench Series #2
Sapele and Spanish Cedar, 18″H x 89″W x 21″D

631-793-2827

Email

Thanks Nico

Desk #2 and Chair #4

Curved Dovetail Console Table

Glass Hall Table

Bench #1 (aka Shifting Slab Bench)

Pedestal Table #9

Corner Piece #3 cherry

Bench #13

Corner Piece #3 sapele

Mirror With Two Drawers

The outside.

The inside.

My little booth with 9 foot high walls in the lower right corner!

My work from above. This is a view that is new to me!

All dressed up for the opening night gala.

Curved Dovetail Console Table
Sapele and Glass 37″H x 70″W x 15″D

Some pieces that I design and build stand out for me. They stand out because they are born in a moment of inspiration and they continue to develop in unforeseen ways as they are built. Something just feels different from start to finish. This is one of those pieces. The story is that I was testing a new process that I have developed for delivering clamp pressure for bent laminations. This is one of the two methods that I use to bend wood. I needed to develop a new system for a few reasons. The biggest reason is the Circular Tree Bench that I am working on. The curves in that piece are enormous and there are many of them. There would be no way for me to manually tighten all of those clamps. The new system relies on an impact wrench to mechanically tighten the clamps.

Below you can see pictures of the curves in process. I made two just to make sure that everything was 100% in order. It was! I ended up with two gorgeous curved pieces of Sapele and that is when this piece quickly came into being.

The curves immediately suggested structure to me and before I knew it I was building the table. The key to the piece was a short piece of glass that I had. I needed a way to create a wooden extension to tie everything together. I ended up creating a dovetail bridge that allowed me to seat the small piece of glass into the composition. Necessity forced this innovation and it is one of the reasons that I am so happy about this composition. Here is the table all roughed in.

The dovetails are hand cut to a very high standard so that I can freely shape into them later. I treat them like I am creating a landscape. The process is all about spontaneity and I cut and evaluate over and over. The dovetails become a composition within a larger composition of the table. The structure is celebrated as decoration.

Once everything was blocked out I refine the composition with a series of cuts and facets. I use these to mellow some of the components and balance the composition. I strive for a balance even in this asymmetrical table.

I should mention that i have treated the Sapele with a chemical that emulates years of patina. The color comes from within and can not be achieved with pigmented dyes or stains.

The Curved Dovetail Console Table can also be viewed in the portfolio section of my site. You will find a link for a 360° View which will allow you to rotate the piece.

Sapele is a cousin of the Mahogany tree that is native to Affrica. I have been enjoying working with it as of late. The grain and the potential to be chemically aged, like this piece is very attractive to me. The chemical that i use fully reacts with tannins in Sapele and ages it to its maximum patina. Just like pressing fast forward! The natural depth that the grain has is maintained because the color comes from within the wood. A traditional stain or dye add pigment to achieve color resulting in muted depth to the grain.

The following series of pictures will illustrate how I approach both construction and composition. The cast concrete is poured into a pair of forms just visible in the second photo below (lower left). The first picture shows how the sapele stretchers butt up against the concert legs. I designed the joint to be very strong and to relate to traditional construction techniques. The seat and the back in the second photo are about to get cut, shaped and faceted into their final form. At this point the piece could go in an unlimited number of directions. This is the flexibility of the way I approach my material.

The first movement often sets the process in motion. In this case the first move was shaping the stretcher below the seat. This threw the composition out of balance and I reacted to it with a movement under the left side of the seat back.

This process continues as I move around the piece. There are moments where I do not want a big bold cut. In those situations I can use the facet. Light reflects differently and i can use them to balance the composition.

I should mention something about the seat back. The bench has evolved with comfort in mind. The back now has a positive curve for lumbar support. Combine this with the curved seat pan and this is an amazing comfortable bench.

I always sign and date my work.

Bench #5 from Bench Series #2
Sapele, White Cast Concrete and Stainless Steel, 29H x 67W x 18D

I picture this bench finding a home in need of a piece of furniture to anchor a wall. An entrance way would be perfect. The bench could also hold its own in the center of a room due to the sculptural view from the back.

Bench #5 can also be viewed on this page with the added feature of a 360° View

Tripoli Gallery

Trip wants to go for a more flexible layout to the gallery so he will be needing something to replace the built in counter/desk that he took out. I offered to build a coffee table that could be at the heart of that new work station/lounge area. The piece will go just about where he is standing in the picture above. This is going to be fun! I had similar arrangement in Southampton once before with Clarke Fine Art. Off to get started before I am off to Smithsonian

Tickets

See you there!

Booth M 125

More information on the Architectural Digest Home Design Show

Occasionally a blog post will go a bit viral. This one traveled through a number of translations into half a dozen languages before it ended up in English again. This digital success encouraged me to do something that i have alway wanted to do- revisit this piece. In the coming blog posts I will chronicle the process of designing and building a piece like this.

My goal is to pick up where I left off with the desk and see if I can push new ground. The first principal that will be different is the two tiered approach to the curved elements in this desk. The original had a three layer system. The model below helped me get organized and then…

I was able to pull the actual curves down from the shelf and mock it up. Purchasing and inventorying these steam bent curves was one of the best things I have done for my workflow! Once I had the curves where i wanted them I was able to cut plywood blocks to help me figure out the angles that I would need to cut on the legs. You may notice that the curve on the left is quite thick. I will need to trim it down before I go any farther.

I take the piece over to my big saw, the Tannewitz, and peel off a useable chunk. I love that saw!

A quick trip to my State disk sander to clean up the bandsaw marks and I am back to figuring out the joinery.

I mentioned these pieces before. They will show me the profile that the legs will need to have to give the desk it’s shape.

Here they are lined up agains the end of the 3″ thick maple board. You can see that my approach to woodworking is very efficient! I will be able to get the maximum yield from this piece of wood.

The legs start their transformation from this huge plank at the chop saw station. Then it is back to the trusty Tanny to rough the legs out. I used the plywood template from the previous shot to set the angle of the table.

I take the legs over to the Oliver Jointer to clean up one side of each leg.

Next in the chain is the planer. I will clean up the side of the board parallel to the one that I just did on the jointer

I get some more mileage out of those plywood pieces. I use one to set the angle on the table saw.

Now they see their final action. I set the angle on the small jointer to clean up the remaining rough surfaces on the legs.

I have replaced the plywood place holders with the actual legs.

As of now everything is right where I want it. I am ready to lay out and execute the joinery. It is going to be quite involved so I will leave it for the next post.

April 14-17 2011with a preview benefit on the 13th

More information on the Smithsonian Craft Show

I will hopefully have one of the large booths and i intend on bringing some of my larger pieces.

Outdoor Bench #4 is an example of a piece that I am considering taking to the show.

This post will be updated with more information as the show gets closer.

Nico Yektai Booth M-125

Pier 94, 55th Street at West Side Highway, New York City

March 17-20 2011, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday 10am-6pm Friday 10am-7pm

I f you would like complimentary tickets please use this link (use this link if you are a Design Professional)

November 19-10am-8pm
November 20- 10am-6pm
November 21- 11am-5pm

I will be in booth 502 with about 8 of my pieces including Bench #13 below

Here is the model as it came into focus. I had to compose in 3-d after coming to the realization that the bench would be based on very large sweeping curves. I wanted the curves to have a dynamic relationship to the tree and root system.

The bench featured a number of seating areas that related to the actual use of the property. A chaise like section was coupled with a seat that faced the sunset.

The next step had me devising a way to mock up the curves in my studio. The chalk circle represents the trunk of the tree.

It had been my hope that t he roots of the tree would spill out from under the bench blurring the line between bench and tree.

Nice try but the reality was that the bench needed to be bigger. MUCH bigger.

I went back to the drawing board and increased the diameter of the circle bench from 12′ to 18′! Now that the scale is right we were able to focus on some of the details in the piece.

Here is the model which reflects those changes. If you click on the picture below you can rotate the circle bench. (does not work on the iPhone/iPad)

Here are a few more shots that should complete the picture of this bench. Now for the next challenge…actually building this piece!

The first piece was on page 32 and it featured my White Cast Bench

My Glass Hall Table was included on page 82.

Hamptons Cottages & Gardens captured a great moment at the Longhouse Reserves Open Bowls exhibit this year. Our boys love the Longhouse but the opening reception was going on a bit long for their attention spans. I was so happy to have a planter just large enough to hold them! They settled in quite well and we all enjoyed the rest of the evening!

The website has just launched
www.karmakidsart.org

The facebook page is up and now all that is missing is the ability to donate by PayPal!
facebook

I had my first opportunity to run the class a few weeks ago. It was a blast! The project was making and decorating a wooden wall sculpture to hold keys. I cut and pre drilled plywood that would act as the canvass for the project. The next step was to select a variety of scrap from my vast collection and cut them into interesting shapes. Recycling at its best!

I am not usually this organized but I wanted things to go smoothly.

I brought an assortment of hammers and asked the children to choose one when it was their turn to hammer in the dowels.

Now for the fun part. I held the dowels while each kid took a turn. They were an accurate bunch. Not even one errant blow!

The next part of the project involved decorating the plywood boards by gluing the scrap pieces on.

I know that I will be buying two of these at the auction on August 28! Thanks to all of the Karma Kids for making this so much fun!

All photos except for the first courtesy of Marcia Ciriello Photography

Look for the latest issue of Hamptons Magazine pictured below and make sure to visit Michael Hennessy Home when in NYC. mhhome.net

Below is a snippet from the article which can be found here. Outdoor Bench #3 is paired with a painting by Eric Ernst.

First I turn the form over so that i can remove all of the screws and bolts.

The pieces start to come off. The small blue circles are plastic inserts buried in the concrete to allow a soft foot to be screwed to the casting. This will protect the floor of the bench is to be used indoors. This bench is going outdoors on a concrete patio so the foot will serve as a shock absorbing transition. Without it the leg would surely chip. The brown and white and blue mess in the center is apiece of foam that formed the relief in the foot detail.

With the side piece removed the white PVC edge is revealed. This insert forms a very important detail in the leg. Lets take off more!

You can clearly see the recess formed by the foam block. Remember that the leg is upside down.

The last piece off will be the PVC board that formed the step detail in the face of the leg

Here it is removed and the leg is now in the proper position.

The rest of the shaping on the leg will be done with this wet grinder. Before I tackle the final detailing I need to focus on the seat.

Here we go! I begin by cutting and gluing together foam. The foam will help make the seat lighter. The next installment will focus on the stainless steel that will reinforce the seat.

Concrete Bench Part 1
Concrete Bench Part 2

Here are some shots of the model

The detail on the legs are an evolution of the detail that was first developed for Outdoor Bench #6. That detail was first used in the big planter that I made for the Open Bowls show at the Longhouse Reserve. I mentioned before that Outdoor Bench 6 and 7 are being built at the same time. They both rely on that detail so I am glad that I had an opportunity to incorporate it into the planter. That experience gave me the confidence to move forward with both benches.

The detail is made by cutting a piece of PVC board into the negative shape of the desired step. I can foresee a day when I make the whole form out of the PVC board. I have a feeling it is going to cast very well. For now I am content to mix the new PVC board with my standard technique of using AC plywood.

Another new development in my concrete procedure is the addition of a wet grinder with diamond polishing pads. I bought the grinder to help make the facets that I use to give each casting its unique presence. The ability to make all of the surfaces look the same regardless of the material that was used to cast them is quite liberating. In the case of these legs I can cast them with the top surface up. In the past I could only have the bottom of the feet up becasue the finish would stink. All is different now that I can grind that surface to perfection.

The final part that needs to be fabricated presents a number of new technical challenges. The seat is going to be fun. First of all it is made up of two separate castings that will be bolted together. This will allow me to give the seat an angle towards the center with a small gap for water to escape. The final. consideration at this stage has to do with designing some flexibility into the forms so I can vary the length. This is not a factor in my other benches because the seats have all been made of wood. My solution was to pick a maximum size for the seat and build the form to that size. I then built a sliding stop so that I could cast into a smaller portion of the form.

There are plenty of other issues that i will need to address before I can cast the seat. To be continued…

Concrete Bench Part 1
Concrete Bench Part 2

Tickets should be purchased ahead of time through a number of local businesses. The complete list can be found here at the AAEH website. The ticket price is tax deductible and will help the Artist Alliance continue to support the Artists who live and work in The Hamptons.

The Members exhibit opened tonight, July 2, and will run through Sunday July 11 at 3:00pm at Ashawagh Hall in The Springs. The show offers a great opportunity to see the work of the membership and get a sneak peak at the work of the artists participating in the studio tours. More information is available here

Corner Piece #3 on display at The Artist Alliance Of The East End Members show 2010. More information on this piece.

Here are my planters and some of the highlights of construction. (that is code for disasters that threatened to derail my efforts)

I presented three planters.

The first two are meant to be displayed together. They are about 85% clones of each other and create a nice dialogue when placed in a garden as a pair

The bulk of the variation comes in the woodwork. The sweeping curves and facets of the Sapele core are very different and encourage the viewer to circle each planter and then comare one to the other.

The concrete also has variation from one to the other but they are not as dramatically different as the woodworking. I designed the concrete to feel different from every angle so the owner could rotate them to achieve the movement they need for that moment in their home or garden.

The concrete is cast in two sections. The plywood box below has been filled with concrete, cured and flipped over ready to be taken apart. The center core is like a section of a pyramid and should have just popped out with a bit of encouragement. Do you get the sense that it did not quite go according to plan?

It required more than just a bit of encouragement with a BIG hammer and a pair of pry bars. Somehow the rest of the form survived so I rebuilt the core in sections that would allow for it to come out in a series of pieces.

The other planter I made has the presence that I now think is deserving of the Open Bowls portion of the exhibition.

The planter measured almost four feet across.

The Sapele petals were connected to a massive concrete core. I respect that the show was about empty planters but I really want to see this one with plants. I imagine that a composition of low plants would be just as successful as an arrangement of very tall plants. I think this could be my most original and versatile planter to date.

I just wanted to point out the detail in the concrete as it will soon be making an appearance in my series of outdoor benches. The detail creates an asymmetrical step in the concrete that creates a deep shadow detail. Not only that but the specifics of creation allow me to vary this detail from one casting to the next. This detail adds a level of variation to my concrete work that should help take my next few benches to new places.

OK I had to see what this planter looked like with these two little seedlings. I am already looking forward to next year!

The new category is for people like myself whose specialty is creating the original vessel. I look forward to seeing the work of the other artists.

Planters On and Off The Ground / Open Bowls

Longhouse Reserve in East Hampton NY

Opening reception on Saturday June 26 5:30PM

More information

Douglas Thayer and his “Baseball” bench

Terence Dubreuil and Vivian Beer were not able to make the opening so Joyce Nereaux, the curator of the show, stood in for them. Jack Larimore had car trouble on the way to the opening so Peter Harrison  helped to explain his work. Lisa Fedon was in attendance and spoke about her work. I am glad I had a chance to tell Lisa how much fun our boys had with he OM-Cair (with gong).

Peter Harrison examining the work of Vivian Beer

I have included the video of my talk with the opening night crowd. Due to the logistics of moving through the gardens we moved from bench 1 to 4 to 3. I have taken the liberty of putting the videos in chronological order. I think it makes for a slightly more coherent presentation of my development.

We are looking forward to coming back to see the show again as the gardens go through there annual transformation!

Berkshire Botanical Garden June 5-through the season

Opening Reception Saturday June 5 from 5-7pm

Hours are 10am-5pm daily
May 1 – Columbus Day
More information

The Berkshire Botanical Garden is presenting the outdoor benches of six artists in a show curated by Joyce Nereaux. I will be exhibiting three benches and a pair of my planters. This is the first time that I have exhibited three of the four benches in my outdoor series in the same show (Outdoor Bench #2 is on view at the Longhouse Reserve in East Hampton NY). Outdoor Bench #4 was recently completed and makes its debut in the show. The bench features cast concrete, Sapele and Stainless Steel in its 10′ footprint.

Outdoor Bench #4
Sapele, Cast Concrete and Stainless Steel 117″ L x 25″W x 30″ H

Outdoor Bench #3
Mahogany, Cast Concrete 84″L x 22″W x 17″H

Outdoor Bench #1
Sapele 81″L x 21″W x 17″H

Here are some photos of the model. Note that the model is more detailed than the ones I make for myself. The model is my primary tool for expressing my intentions to the client.

This last photo illustrates the first stumbling block in the construction of the new bench. The inside curve of this cove on the outside of the leg is going to be a challenge to fabricate. The concrete will be cast into a form so I need to find a tube of suitable diameter to incorporate into the form. In the past I have use PVC pipe to make a similar detail. In this case the pipe would have to be big. Probably around 12″ in diameter. I have a section of a pipe half that size. What to do? I went on Ebay looking for sections of large diameter PVC pipe. I found some but they were not long enough for this application. I had an idea!

Here you can see the before and After!

Here the part is incorporated into the form

Not quite ready for concrete but a very good start and nothing caught on fire!

Architectural Digest Home Design Show Highlights
March 31, 2010 Newsday

May 1 – October 9, 2010

Rites of Spring season opening reception: 2-5pm May 1 2010 (open to the public and a great introduction to the LongHouse)

The longhouse is open to the public on Wednesday and Saturday through the end of June. July and August see the days extended to Wednesday through Saturday. In both cases the hours are 2pm-5pm

The LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton NY is about to open for the 2010 season. I am delighted to have Outdoor Bench #2 in the magnificent gardens for another year. Below is the last picture I took of the installation last year. I got the impression that the bench will be in a new location this year. I cant wait to see where they want it!

Update: Bench #4 from Bench Series #2 is now at the Longhouse!

The Architectural digest home show begins this Thursday in NYC. You can find more information here. If you would like to pre register for free tickets you can find the necessary information on Nico Yektai’s Facbook Fan Page

Here are the pieces that I will be exhibiting in NYC.

Glass hall Table

Pedestal Table #9

Dining Table #4

Chair #4

Mirror With Two Drawers

Corner Piece #3

Bench #13