Caribbean Blue

48 x 6 x 3 in., heat-treated steel, charred oak, 2023,
$575

This salvage steel bar is polished to a mirror finish, but retains flaws of used steel. The lovely blue color is burned into the metal. The bar was subjected to intense heat, then left to cool slowly. The oak board on which it's mounted has been cut, and a scrap of oak from a different source was inserted. The textured black surface is the result of heavy charring. The wood remains unaffected structurally, but the characteristic cracks and fissures of burnt wood add great interest. Include this totem with four or six others for a spectacular wall display.

View in person at Gallery Veronique in Montgomery, Ohio.