The vast majority of my work is a response to material. Whether the material is purchased off the shelf or found in a dumpster, the work of transforming that material into an applied art object is in response.
I picked up this thin slab of walnut before I had an exact project or plan for it. I liked the grain.
Rather than leaving the live edge – which is so hot right now – I decided to take a cue from surfboard shapes and designs that I’ve grown up with. So I shaped the rails and bladed them out like a displacement hull.
Thin, contoured rails. This table was made to be touched – run your hands down the lines.
The tail of the table is asymmetric and I staggered the legs to match. As I mentioned above, this table was formed in response to the natural composition of the wood. Every design decision was made to compliment the table top.
This way of working is a more natural fit for me – more play, more room for improvisation in the process. For me, the design process happens in my hands, not my head. It’s like the equivalent of musicians who write songs by jamming, rather than composing the entire piece in their heads before hand.
I am hand before head.
