For some woodturning is a social endeavour. We read about monthly meetings and shows that are attended. Classes and events are held attracting many with similar interests.
The life I lead rarely permits an opportunity to participate in such events. Not 5 miles from my house on every third Wednesday a local chapter of AAW meets. Most of these nights I find myself in another city. On the rare occasion I have found myself at home I have simply spaced it.
Don’t get me wrong, I would love to attend. I want to see the work of others because it is an opportunity to learn and be inspired. Twice in the last year I have been lucky enough to be in the same town and had the freedom of attending an AAW chapter club meeting as a guest. They are wonderful and highly recommended.
However with few or no opportunities to inspect another’s work how do you judge the quality and finish of your own turning?
I relish these opportunities. Occasionally I will find a turning in a gallery or gift shop and cannot help but to pick it up and examine the details. How a foot was sized in proportion to a bowl or to feel the overall shape in my hand.
What would be really nice is the opportunity to examine several pieces made by our crafts masters.
What might we find? Would we find perfection in shape and finish? This is what I have always thought. At least until I happened upon a display at the Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport that was sponsored by the City of Atlanta Department of Aviation Art Program.
Pictured on the right is a piece by Davit Ellsworth. How can we not be impressed by what he has done for our craft, the knowledge he has shared and effort to support and promote woodturning as a whole? I’ve admired many pieces of his that have been featured in industry magazines and on the internet but having the opportunity to look closely at a piece was enlightening.
Note the tool marks on the inside of this vessel. Based on my relatively limited experience I consider how this piece would have turned out on my lathe at my hands. Honestly, I couldn’t have done better; but how much worse? I’ll never know the answer to that .
Another piece I had the pleasure to review was one by Rude Osolnik. Coincidentally, it was my desire to purchase a bowl made by Rude that inspired my first sale. My wife had taken the understandable position that I couldn’t bring any more bowls into the house until I could find another home for some of the ones I had made. Unfortunately, by the time I had sold a few, the piece I wanted was long gone.
Rude is by some accounts the first modern day woodturning master. His work has been widely sought after by collectors for decades. For me it was an honor just to be near a piece of his work. In reviewing this lovely natural edge bowl I found music. It was nicely proportioned. The curve was near perfection with an elegant transition into the foot. Looking closely however I noted that the thickness was not uniform.
Again, as a turner I must consider how my work compares. Frankly I have turned many natural edge bowls and only rarely have I managed a uniform thickness.
Have you ever heard the saying that “an artist is often his own worst critic?” While I have a hard time considering myself an artist, I am certainly critical of my work. For every piece I put on display or list for sale there are maybe another 6-10 that I refuse to let be seen in the light of day. Seeing the works pictured and others in the exhibit I am left to consider am I just being too critical of my or even of others work? No doubt the work of David Ellsworth and Rude Osolnik is among the most beautiful I have seen. Should it matter that there are some imperfections? After all by its very nature woods inconsistency is in large part what provides the beauty within?
You must be a turner or lover of turned wood if you’ve bothered to read through this post. Please take a moment to comment below and leave your thoughts about quality and perfectionism in turned wood. Should a collector expect perfection? Is perfection in turned wood possible including tools marks and inconsistency? Is the art not in the details but in the overall presentation of the piece?
I’am a fan of Rude Oselink his work is not that much different from the rest of us. I have seen pictures of other turners work,with tool marks on the outside of the turning.If you are not critical of your on work you want get any better.
To be know is to be famous.