The Wood Turning Center
The Wood Turning Center in Philadelphia PA is a gallery, store and education center that promotes the art and craft of wood turning. Last week, I had the opportunity to visit. I arrived on Monday at Philadelphia International Airport less than 10 minutes away. The closer I got, the more excited I became about this opportunity to get up close to pieces created by artists and masterpieces from around the world.
As I approached the building, beautiful waves of grain were peeking out each window straining to be noticed. A force field of interest slowed my body as I continued around the corner to the front door. My hand reached for the door, my foot on the stoop and then my world stopped cold the knob wouldn’t turn. Did I fall into a parallel universe, what was wrong?
After a few moments of confusion I noted the hours listed on the door… Closed on Mondays. Closed on Mondays? How could this be, I was devastated. Bewildered, I headed back the way I came. With sadness I looked longingly into the window and saw not a bowl but an angel. A lady was looking back at me with a questioning face, mouthing words I could not read. She began heading toward the door. I felt bad for interrupting, leaning back around the corner again as she opened the door I quickly explained that I simply had no idea they were closed on Monday.
Unlike any other retail establishments, museums, or government offices she did not send me away, she offered to let me in. At first I declined, but my refusal was quickly overridden. It was Tina LeCoff, wife of Albert the Executive Director of the Wood Turning Center.
I still cannot believe that a non-profit organization was providing a level of service that most for profit companies wouldn’t dream of!
Amazingly, though closed, Tina proceeded to give me a guided tour of the Center. She highlighted several pieces that were special to her. When I focused on a piece that caught my eye, Tina would convey a wealth of information. For each piece she not only knew about the artist but was able to convey the story behind the piece; what inspired the artist or the technical aspects of how it was made.
This platter hanging on the wall with an Indian basket weave design in black and white. No label and no name was posted nearby, I assumed it was a David Nittmann. Tina corrected me; this was a piece made by Lincoln Seitzman.
It was about this point that I inquired if it was OK to take pictures of a few pieces. Tina confirmed pictures were OK but only with the condition that I could not copy what I photograph.
To my, very limited, knowledge I have never seen a Nittmann that was an exact copy of a Seitzman, but I found the warning ironic immediately following a discussion of two artists that had such similar approaches.
Truth is I would be amazed if I could copy even a fraction of the work I observed at The Wood Turning Center. But is not imitation the sincerest form of flattery? This being said, we must recognize that anyone that copies an artists work and furthermore tries to pass it off as an original or even attempts to profit off the effort is immoral, if not illegal. But does this mean that aspiring artists should not try to duplicate techniques or explore the styles of those that have proceeded them?
Art dates back to the caves of our earliest ancestors, are all animals drawn since not a variation of these originals? It has been said that all literature can be distilled down to one of 7 basic plots, is not every story written since a variation of these originals? The Greeks has about 20 different styles of vases, are not all vases made since a variation on these originals?
If an aspiring artist is not permitted to mimic what they see in others works, how can one build skills and learn new techniques? Is it OK for a beginner, novice or even a person with expertise to adapt or even copy the approach of another artist? Is copying flattery or fraud?
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