[Scmusenet] (2 of 2) - "Drawing with Wood" opening at the Pickens County Museum, this Saturday, December 2

[Allen Coleman]

"Drawing with Wood"

Exhibition Opening at the Pickens County Museum December 2nd

 

    The Pickens County Cultural Commission is pleased to announce the
opening of a very special exhibition at the Pickens County Museum of Art
& History. Please join us from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. on December 2, 2006
as we host a reception to open "Drawing with Wood".  This exhibition
featuring works by eight regional artists will continue through February
17, 2007.

 

    With an eye towards the linear nature of wood, "Drawing with Wood"
is a collection of furniture-making, marquetry, pyrography, sculpture
and woodturning. The exhibition is the result of an invitation to a
select group of artists, working in wood, for works that, through their
own interpretation, draws attention to the linear quality of manipulated
wood. 

 

    Utilizing both of the museum's upstairs' galleries, the artists
included are John Acorn, Warren Carpenter, Orchid Davis, Josh Marshall,
Michael McDunn, Russ Morin, Christie West and Thomas Zumbach. 


 


    A prolific sculptor living in Pendleton SC, John Acorn is retired
from Clemson University where he taught for 36 years, serving as Head of
the Department of Visual Arts and History for more than 20 years. He has
exhibited widely throughout the Southeast, and his works are in numerous
public, private and museum collections. In 1998, Acorn received the
Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Award, the South Carolina Arts Commission's
most prestigious honor bestowed in recognition of an artist's commitment
to furthering arts in the State.


 

    Warren Carpenter, a woodturner from Seneca SC, is a member of the
Southern Highland Craft Guild, with works in many galleries and
collections. Of his work Carpenter says, "Woodworking has always been a
part of my life, but what else would you expect from a Carpenter?" Since
1999, his passion has been turning wood. "I am always watching for those
special trees or parts of trees that may someday become a unique
turning. There are few things better than finding a burl and figuring
out the best way to turn it into one or more pieces of artwork." While
he does create 'normal' or 'natural' bowls, Carpenter also enjoys
experimenting with new shapes and forms to help release the beauty of a
piece of wood.

 

    From Westminster SC, Orchid Davis is among the nation's finest
pyrographers. Specializing in wildlife, Davis has authored numerous
articles and books including, 'Woodburning Western Wildlife' and 'How to
Burn Wildlife: A Burning Class in a Book'. It has been written of her,
"Taking treks through the wilderness used to be a pastime for Orchid
Davis who loves wildlife. But when she left a career as a commercial
artist to do nothing but carve and later pyrograph the wildlife she so
loves and enjoys, she found her niche. Now when she goes hiking in the
wild, she has the excuse that she is doing research for her art work!"

 

    The sculptor Josh Marshall, living in Chesnee SC, creates unique
works that are as accomplished as they are whimsical. When asked of his
work he said, "I try to give the wood its' own soul so that the pieces
truly represent a mood, emotion, expression, or a feeling in life."
Whether a wall mounted sculpture, a piece of furniture or a simple
shelf, Marshall's work demonstrates what might be called the 'liquid'
quality that does exist in wood. 

 

    In Greenville SC, the Michael McDunn Studio specializes in the
creation of custom, master-quality furniture for clients ranging from
the individual to the corporate. His commercial pieces such as
conference tables, desks, and credenzas command attention in many
corporate offices, including those of Michelin, Raycom Media, Liberty
Corporation, Carolina First, and more. With thirty years of custom
woodworking experience and access to a comprehensive array of wood
species and hardware components, McDunn's custom furniture pieces exist
as elegant and powerful centerpieces and are certainly tomorrow's
heirlooms.

 

    Also living in Greenville, Russ Morin specializes in 'Green
Woodworking', which refers to a range of traditional woodworking methods
that involve the artist dealing directly with a log from a freshly
felled tree as opposed to finished lumber. About his work Morin says,
"Most of my wood comes from trees that are destined for the landfill. If
a tree has to die then it should be put to good use. The resulting piece
should celebrate all the twists and turns that mark life of a tree." He
continues, "I prefer the 'art' aspect of wood. My chairs, for instance,
are weirdly organic with odd legs which make them look like they could
walk out of the room. Worm holes are to be cherished and crooked limbs
coveted.

 

    Having been a furniture maker for over 35 years, Christie West, in
Denmark SC, has for the past decade followed a need to include some form
of narrative in his work. This led to his learning the art of marquetry
(inlaid wood), which enabled the use imagery to tell a story. Speaking
about his work, West says, "Each one of my pieces is entirely crafted by
hand, from design to finished piece. The subject matter is always a
reflection of my life; flowers in my garden, sprites whispering in my
ear, recollections of another place and time. They all have a jewel-like
quality that comes from not only the selection of woods but something of
the little people who inhabit my soul." West finds much of his
inspiration from the Arts & Crafts era, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood,
Khalil Gibran, as well as Asian watercolors and wood block prints. 

 

    Now living in Greer SC, Thomas Zumbach's woodturning evolved from a
hobby developed in the early 1980's, when he began making custom
furniture pieces. He says of himself, "Later on, my interest piqued when
I saw a turned walnut goblet at a show. The elegance and beauty of that
piece turned my hobby into an obsession. With no available woodturning
classes, I began to experiment and teach myself. I soon found that my
passion for the artistry of woodworking had become a lifelong career."
Zumbach continues, "Purity of form is what I strive for when turning a
piece. The lines, character and color variations of burls and spalted
woods are my favorite to work with." 

 

    From these eight artists a true cross section of styles is
represented. As each artist looks at, and into, any piece of wood, it is
with their eyes and through their hands that every line, every curve and
every space emerges so that the object they end with is much more than a
piece of furniture, a sculpture, a bowl or a picture on the wall; each
piece exists in the space it occupies as an example of 'drawing with
wood'. 

 

    The Pickens County Museum of Art & History is funded in part by
Pickens County, members and friends of the museum and a grant from the
South Carolina Arts Commission, which receives support from the National
Endowment for the Arts.

 

    Located at the corner of Hwy. 178 at 307 Johnson Street in Pickens
SC, the museum is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:00 a.m.
until 5:00 p.m., Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays
from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Admission is free but donations are
welcomed.

 

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