Artists Statement & Philosophy

design philosophy

I design my pieces to be distinctive– interesting and unique– but also highly functional. The aim for the look of my furniture is an understated elegance. And while i like clean, modern lines and employ a “less is more” approach, I want to see some evidence of the hand, a feature, stance or gesture that makes the piece unique and not sterile or impersonal like some modern designs can appear. My aim is to create furniture that will coexist beautifully with the other items in the home, not dominate them. But its all about context and I also enjoy creating more daring designs if a space can handle it.Imagining the personality of each piece and picturing them in the context of a living space helps refine the details. I chose to show some elements of the structure for the visual interest as well as to demonstrate the forces at work, the tensions and balance, both visual and structural. The beauty of form and function overlap – less is more – taking away – to create gracefully carved shapes that are much more than the first impression.

I aim to bring forth a piece that has one primary gesture, stance or sense of movement which gives the work its personality. These pieces are distinct and have presence but don’t need to command all of the attention – willing to coexist.

The commissioned work I do provides a continual influence on my speculative furniture pieces, and vise versa. Designing for particular environments and clients force me to be sensitive to the “personality” of the pieces I create in relation to that of the setting they will inhabit. The resulting unique designs, in turn, inform my subsequent work and keep me continually experimenting with new ideas.

artist statement

I design my furniture to be relatively spare, elegant and useful. My design process involves a great deal of subtraction–taking away excess mass or unnecessary elements that don’t complement or service the main thrust, dramatic gesture or function of the piece. The resulting structures are angular, some rectilinear, some with gentle curves. I use traditional hand tools in combination with modern machinery to shape and join components precisely, focusing on creating interesting compositions of negative and positive space and harmonious lines. Where appropriate, I join pieces using exposed tenons, pegs and splines to lend selective visual interest and express the piece’s structure. I often add color and utilize certain combinations of woods within a piece, carefully selecting and using the most beautiful hardwoods available.