Silver Alcove

33 x 3 x 5 in., steel, silver, charred oak, 2023

SOLD

Sterling silver accents this thick, unusually shaped bar of salvage steel. The steel has begun to pit, evidence of years in the weather. Hues from ocher to umber mottle its surface. Delicate loops of brushed silver complement it well. The bar's six-sided form gives it facets that take light more interestingly than do right-angled or round forms. As seen here, the transitional tone between light and dark adds subtle dimension. The oak base of this totem is a thick block, chipped and deeply cracked from violent heat. The metal composition nests in a burnt-out hollow. My early training was metalsmithing—jewelry and small sculpture of copper, brass, and silver. I incorporate visual elements made of these softer metals to create fine accents, beautiful in both color and detail. 

Totems

Totems each combine simple metal elements, sometimes with other materials, in or over over charred wood. They range from 24" to 48" tall. Most are no wider than 6". They stand out several inches from the wall. Each has its own charm and interest, but they look best in groups of 5 or more. Each totem is unique. This accords with my need to invent, to create something new. Textures and forms appear again and again, but in infinite variation.

Color
I do not paint the metal in totems. I don’t need to. Steel and rusted steel alone provide a vast palette of colors: gray, blue, maroon, orange, yellow, umber. Brass and copper add warm notes of yellow, orange, and brown. Silver is white. Gold a unique butter yellow.

Materials
Most of the steel and wood I use is salvaged. The steel comes from junkyards and roadsides. It may be dented, rusted, or gouged, or have scraps of original paint. All of which communicate a strong sense of endurance and strength. Most of the wood is oak, hammered from pallets that carried industrial materials and machines. Salvage wood shows nail holes and scars here and there. These are hard-working materials that find new life in a beautiful form unlike that in their previous lives.

Burning
The charred surface of the wood recalls a Japanese technique for preserving wood siding without paint or other sealant. It's call sho sugi ban. I go a little further than with the Japanese technique, burning the wood till the surface cracks. But the char is thin. The wood beneath it remains strong.