I am in the process of designing a new glass topped console table. That means that this is a perfect moment for me to revisit the last one that I have made, Curved Glass Hall Table. I was and am very fond of the table, but the photo session left me wanting. Some pieces of mine photograph better than others. I can usually tell how it is going to go after the first few shots. I was concerned that the detail that I loved in the piece was simply not coming through. This piece seemed like a perfect candidate for my new approach to documenting my work; the out-of-context art shot. I have done this before with my small indoor bench shot at a bay side beach in Sag Harbor. This time I wanted to try a different location. I feel that I have a right to present my work against the backdrop of the natural beauty of my home, the Hamptons. This includes water in all of its forms. Today I am shooting against Sagg Pond. The location offers me a few bonuses. The dock acts as a pedestal for the work and the fragmite make a poetic backdrop. The bottom line is that I am very pleased with the shots and I feel that they add to the story that the studio shots begin to tell.

Apartment Therapy just completed their fall design showcase. The call for entries revolved around presenting a design with a series of images and video. I did not get selected for inclusion on their website, but I know that I have benefited greatly from the application process. The 1 minute video proved to be a great exercise in presentation and i plan on using it more in the future.

Bench #1 from series #2 is an indoor/outdoor bench presented in Sapele. The bench is 17” high by 81” wide by 21” deep. Bench #1 is composed of 10 individual pieces of wood that can be arranged differently each time I build it. This piece of furniture is not just handmade it is one-of-a-kind.

My style emerged from the pursuit of spontaneity in the often static world of furniture deign. My background in art helped show me the way. I grew up watching my father, an abstract expressionist painter, build up canvasses with thick masses of paint that he gesturally delivered with pallet knives. I turned to my structural components and developed a technique of shifting and faceting them in the hopes of mimicking the freedom that I admired in my father’s paintings.

Each time I build Bench #1 I stager the legs differently. The problem then shifts to the top of the bench and finding shapes that compliment and ground the newfound movement in the legs. Curve by curve and facet by facet the composition comes into balanced focus. The end result is a visual record of all of those spontaneous decisions along the way.

Bench #1 finished for outdoor use with optional concrete pads.

This version of Bench #1 is currently available from the Dodds & Eder Showroom in Sag Harbor NY.

Below is a working drawing of Bench #1. The sketches on the right are just enough to define the system. The model on the left helps to bring the design to life. THe models also serve as great presentation tools.

I took the opportunity to take a new series of head shots.

I have been thinking about photography and my work. I have decided to pursue some “art” shots where I take the piece out of context. I tucked my small modern bench under my arm and headed to the bay side. We went to the most secluded beach we could think of only to find it quite busy. I was able to snap a few pictures. It was just enough to see the potential in this type of photography. I will now need to get a beach sticker for my truck and try to discover the best formula. I feel that I am allowed to pursue this because the beach is such a part of our lives here in the Hamptons.

The idea is to photograph the piece in such a away as to bring a new level of interest to it. For example i am quite pleased with the curve of the stretcher. The shadow and the angle tell a very different story compared to the studio shot.

There is lots of possibility for people adding a new dimension to these shots. I like the idea of the absurd. Next time I am going to try a piece that is more clearly an indoor piece. Yes, this is an indoor bench which I designed for small entryways. This was my first attempt at apartment sized furniture.