In college, i remember learning about the taoist concept of the uncarved block - a state of pure potential. I think of every piece of wood as having this potential. indecision and poor decisions lead to a failure of potential. the more beautiful, large, or rare a piece of wood, the greater the weight of each decision.
this piece began as a somewhat cylindrical cut from a Blue Gum Eucalyptus tree trunk. The pock-marked texture of the cambium and bark make this particular Eucalyptus extremely rare as they typically have a less interesting smooth surface. brought over from australia during the California gold rush, they were planted in large plantations for the purpose of making furniture and railroad ties. the wood was too dense and hard to drive a railroad spike into, and was too prone to warping and cracking to make fine furniture.
marking the beginning of an ongoing series that I call tree form sculptures, This piece began with a fascination with the idea of inhabiting a tree. as a child i used to climb trees, admiring them from their exterior and extending my own limb to climb each of the trees limbs towards the crown. WOrking with lumber and slabs allowed me the opportunity to see inside the tree for the first time, shaping one or several of its many pieces into a greater whole. working with large, solid sections of trees allows me the opportunity to truly inhabit a tree. by sculpting the previously uncarved block into a form that invites the human body to inhabit it, I believe this series is capable of reconnecting inhabitants with nature in a new and exciting way.
