ARTISAN Gallery is celebrating everything wooden in their next exhibition, Festival of Wood. From wooden sculptors to hand-crafted furniture and magnificent turned-wood pieces, art lovers shouldn’t miss this one.
The artists include Carl Roberts, Rob Scott, Geoff Etheridge, Clyde Newman, Winston French, Alan Ferguson as well as members of the Midlands and Durban Woodcrafters.
In an interview, Newman and Roberts explain their fascination with wood and what their work symbolises.
Regarded as one of South Africa’s top sculptors, Roberts’ work is autobiographical, has elements of history, art history, social significance and psycho-logical insights into the artist. Explaining his journey in art, he says his first photographs ever taken display him as a child, making boxes, mud pies and anything related to art and creativity.
“There was something there from day one. I worked for five years before I went to university and during that time I made things like leather goods, carved wooden shelves and paintings. I went to university to study journalism and got special permission to do extra credits which were art and art history. Within three months, I had changed my degree, a change that changed my life. I did not have art at school. When I had to choose my specialty at the end of first year, I could not make up my mind. I liked painting and sculpture. Professor Robert Brooks was accommodating and suggested I do one for a few weeks and then try the other. So I went to the sculpture department with that intention but never managed to leave the sculpture room. There were just too many exciting things to do.”
In terms of his creative process, Roberts says ideas come from life: “A book I read, a bird I saw, a thing that happened, etc. The mediums I use help, as they provide a sort of Rorschach (ink blot) test.”
Newman was highly involved in organising the artists for this exhibition. Specialising in creating wooden bowls, vases and other turned wood art forms, he says he’s a retired engineer who never considered himself to be at all artistic.
“I cannot draw or paint, however I feel really at home working on a three-dimensional form. Being retired and developing a hobby that I am passionate about means that my works are essentially for my own gratification. If someone else feels that the items I produce are beautiful and likes them, that is also great,” he shares.
On other artists’ work on show, Newman says: “Every wood turner has his own favourite products. Some like to produce large bowls and platters, some like to produce vases and closed forms, others produce very small items, some add colour or decoration or pyrography or carve on the item turned.
“So you can either use the natural beauty of a piece of wood, or if it is plain, it can be enhanced. And I believe the public will be exposed to different art forms. Most people only think of wooden bowls etc as being utilitarian; that is, they view bowls as vessels to hold peanuts, crisps or salad.
“They will however purchase a ceramic item for its beauty and as an ornament. I believe many people will leave the exhibition with a new-found appreciation of the beauty of the wooden items on exhibit.
“So I would hope that in future people would start purchasing a wooden art form for the same reason that they would purchase a piece of ceramic.”
• The exhibition runs at the Artisan Gallery, 344 Florida Road. Call Ingrid on 031 312 4364.