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Show ( a Ik iLilt i'a I; t tribune Black Stallion Owner's Story David Ellsworth is a renowned expert in methods of turning. Lifestyle Utah Seenery in Photographer's- W-- 2 Gary Bennet mixes poly chromes, with woods and metal. - K-- Architectural sculpture is spe- cialty of Federico Amiho. ' -- l Sunday Morning, June 29, 19X0 Iuut-Om- - Guilt ami It? Hole in Behavior Conference director, Dale Nish, is a greenwood turning expert. Sterling King makes furniture out of tree roots and limbs. Woodworkings a special art that endures By Hazel S. Parkinson Home Furnishings Writer Tnbune j i An artisan working with woods to produce PROVO Something of beauty may elect to produce art in one of three forms. It can be fine art in the form of sculpture; useful art objects for everyday use, furniture, jewelry or architecture; or decorative art producing beautiful Objects for their own sake. j Regardless of which form is used, art presents J Art gives pleasure and enriches values and experiences. furniture contributes beauty and comfort to our lives. . The three forms of art, with wood as the medium, were recently seen, discussed and demonstrated in depth at a three-da- y conference, Woodworking West State of the Art 80," sponsored and held at Brigham Young University, the first of its kind in the West. Top Woodworking Artisans We brought together the finest group of top Woodworking artisans ever gathered in one place in Utah, said Dale Nish, professor of industrial education at RYU and director of the conference which attracted Craftsmen, both professional and amateur, students and the public. Leading the group of experts was Tag Frid, who was brought to America from Denmark a quarter of a century ggo, by the American Craft Council to organize the first School of American Craftsmen, Rochester, N.Y. He now heads the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence. Mr. Frig is reputed to be the finest expert in hand woodcraft in America. He also is a designer. David Ellsworth, Allen Park, Colo., is the worlds expert in hollow wood type of wood turning. He does fine art sculpture and makes his own tools. His fame has spread to Europe. This summer he will be lecturing and demonstrating his art in England. at the opening day In talking to conference-goer- s . events held at Wilkinson Center, BYU, Mr. Frid said, You must know material and its limitations before you can put it together and before you can design it. He advised looking at bad design to know what good design is. Well-designe- d Mr. Frig noted that he has his students design chairs. "A chair must have balance, leverage, comfort and good design. If not, the designer is in trouble. The Finest Work Conference participants were invited to bring and display their work in the museum area of Wilkinson Center. Many did. The fuiest work in terms of craftsmanship and sculpture were the hollow bowl pieces of Mr. Ellsworth. One can hold up a bowl sculpture to the light and see through it. Mr. Ellsworth uses both exotic wood and woods difficult to work with like rotten wood. He makes his own hand tools. Much of the finished work inside a bowl is done by feel, not sight. One bowl he displayed had an opening only large enough to allow his index finger and a small hand tool inside. The work he displayed ranged in price from $175 to $900. Each.piece glowed with the highly polished finish on the wood. Wendell Castle, Scarsdale, N.Y., furniture designer and maker, said that history tempers what is good and what is bad in woodworking design and in art in general. If it is good it is universally accepted, but he added, "who is to say it is in vogue. But being in vogue doesnt necessarily mean it is good. If it is good design it stands the test of time. He believes one is bom with design talent. You can learn to be a good craftsman or technician, but creativity is something one is bora with. Art of Woodworking Mr. Castle said that the public is becoming increasingly aware of the art of fine woodworking. People like to spend money on things that appreciate during Inflationary times, like paintings, sculpture and fine furniture and other collectables. John Kelsey, Newtown, Conn., editor of Fine Woodwork magazine, who put together a book, Design Book II, noted that while form has to follow function, one must stay within the budget and still have a product chat looks good. "New technology gives rise to aesthetics, but style, techniques and cost of materials must be cons.dored today. When technique and craft conflict with design in how it looks and functions, you must design around techniques that you have tried before. When design is form, it is art. Mr. Kelsey said that inventors of techniques created styles and put them to use. He talked about the invention of glue and sandpaper. "Glue opened up a new world in furniture. It led to lamination and stacking of woods. These opened many marketing areas where woods needed strength and shape as well as versatility." Glues also led to cutting costs and mass production of items. Sandpaper turned woodworking around, he said. It gave woodwork a fine look and finish. Designer Gary Bennet has a sign in his Oakland, Calif, office which says, Let yourself go with your craft and God will give you no (trouble). Mr. Bennet is a man who follows his own advice. His work is distinctive decorative design which also is functional. He combines these principles with the use of a variety of materials. He combines wood, metal and colors. Sometimes he textures the metal or woods and adds polychromatic techniques (change of color), to produce desired and unusual effects. A tree knots turned into useful container. Finished part is enhanced by natural exterior. strengthens his sculptures by lamination and by layering boards of varying lengths. Two of his works are in malls in fashionable Scottsdale, Anz. Mr. Anuhos work is seen in intenors of a major bank, other buildings and churches in the Southwest. He shared a marketing technique which worked for him. He visits developers and contractors of shopping malls and buildings and asks for an opportunity to present his ideas and sketches for interiors and decorative sculpture. He landed some fine commissions in the process. Dont be afraid to go after the work," advises Mr. Amiho. He also has put together fine quality designed brochures showing some of his work and other presentations of his ideas of various design aspects. "Marketing is survival, he said. "One must not always be content to follow tradition," said Steve Madsen, Albuquerque designer. It is best to break away and have ones own ideas. Those ideas are not logicul, but aesthetically they are best." He does one-of--a kind pieces. Showed Commissioned Work For a time in his career he designed unusual clocks. For the conference, he brought along a large table-deswhich was on its way to a client on the east coast. It was a commissioned work with a price tag of $7,000. The top was of three well matched pieces of African rosewood with beautiful grain. It was sanded and polished to a rich piano-typ- e finish. The legs were covered with textured aluminum. The side leg supports were of different woods and polychromes. The desk drawers were precisely fitted, showing his excellent craftsmanship. Inside the desk drawers were secret compartments. Designer Art Carpenter. Balencta, Calif., whose marketing name is F.spenet, combines principles of efficiency in construction, fine workmanship, economics of materials and clarity of lines. He believes the best amount of function and beauty with the least amount of materials is the ultimate in design 1 like boldness without constraint, function that is dean " Students, craftsmen exhibited works like small table at BYU Woodworking West." d know some of my ideas have influence," said Mr. Madsen. Woodworking is a force of skill and vision. I learn from creative problems and then work them out. He believes woodworking is done with a physical eye, an emotional eye and a spiritual eye. "Woodworking is limited only by imagination in design and technique. One does not have to ask why or why not. Creativity doesnt have to be explained. The artisan is explained by his work." Mr. Madsen said that economics place limitations on ones art. Even in making fine museum pieces there is an economic level that one must take Into consideration. One must survive economically in this world. Use of Discarded Materials Much of Sterling Kings works showed what can be done with discarded materials. He works out of a shop In his home in Leucadia, Calif. He showed slides of chairs he had made from the roots of walnut, bedsteads from natural shaped trees, chairs carved from tree trunks and finished in natural colors. He ulso showed slides of how he used truck inner tubes tied with nylon cords wrapped around the outside of the tubes and crossed in the center. The cords in the center were topped with padding and carpet discards to form o chair, it resembled a bean bag chair Other woodworking experts participating Michael Dunbar, Portsmouth, N H., conducted a woikslmp in the production of Windsor separate two-dachairs using lath century methods und original tools. Mr. Dunbar has a chair shop at Strawberry Ranke, the early American museum al historic Portsmouth He also writes articles for wixxlworkmg and historical publicaname. John Kedfield He is an tions under the alumnus of BYU John Kassay, piofessor at San Francisco State University, is a reproducer of Shaker furniture. He also has written a Ixxik about Shaker furniture, its lieginiungs, history and techniques Will Malloff, Alert Bay. British Columbia. Canadu, is an expert In chain saw lumbering lie also designs and makes furniture Bruce Hundley, University of Massachusetts, Boston, is an expert in forest wood technology Larry Hunter, San Diego State University, presented an illustrated lecture on the 'Amciicnn Wixxlworkmg Scene " , Alls'll Philadelphia consultant, talked about wood turning in Americu Utah craftsman. Mr. Nish, Provo, Is an expert In the harv esting and use of greenwood turning He also is a fine . x-- Mr Carpenter showed slides of some of his commissioned work including o graceful, lean looking music stand that has function, strength, balance and beauty. It is a useful piece which also looks like u fine sculpture. He first sketches his ideas, then draws the idea to scale with balance and proportion taken into account. He makes a small model to scale out of wood. He says ii is easier for a client to visualize than just look at sketches Architectural .Sculpturing Another young innovative artisan, Federico Amiho, .Albuquerque, N M , has mastered the art of architectural wood sculpturing und wixxl stacking, lie has made wood sculptures 34 feet tall, a real feat since board pieces come no longer than 10 foot His stylizi-sculptures are simple in line and form often resembling trees and foliage He joins and Tradition, of course, is valid, but so are contempor- ary ideas. "I need to find a way for expression. I go with the stream of creativity and get earned away with it. But 1 Ian-off- wixxl turner spcciulies in both advertising and furniture making Tom Sorenson mid Kob Slaylrr, Salt Lake City, demonstrated production wtxxl turning Provo, showed conference goers how to Byrd make a ihest of drawers in two and one half hours. He Is a cabinetmaker and specialist In gun stocks and metal trimming Ray Jonas, Provo, is a contcmjiorary wood sculptor. Sheldon L. Smith, Suit Lake City, Sterling King used discarded tree trunk U make Items like step stool chair. |