Planters #5 and #6 From The Outdoor Collection
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.
Curved Dovetail Console Table
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.
Bench #5 from Bench Series #2
The distinguishing features of the benches in this series is that they can be made to go indoors or out. The first version of this bench went outdoors. This one is designed to go indoors. Here they are side by side. You can see that they are very different and I am not just talking about the materials. My style allows for variation and these two benches illustrate that point. They are far from duplicates, far from being part of an edition. They are each a unique composition.
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
