Wood
savit@umich.edu
Woodturning, like many other forms of sculpture is primarily a subtractive process. Wood is mounted on a lathe which spins the wood while the artist uses hand held cutting tools to shape the spinning wood. In a very real sense, the process of turning involves a conversation with the wood, which, in the end, is a conversation with oneself. Sustained physical control and mental concentration are necessary to bring a piece successfully to conclusion.
At the same time, a sense of freedom and spontaneity is necessary to create a graceful and balanced form. During the turning process one can be in an almost meditative state in which hours can pass without notice. In the creative tension between control and spontaneity, one strives for a form that gracefully celebrates the marriage between the balanced regularity of human artifice and the pied beauty of nature.
