1/23/2015

Develop Appreciation For Natural Beauty When You Experience Modern Art Through Reclaimed Wood

By Janine Hughes


For ages, people have been thrifty about reclaiming natural materials to make useful household items. The local environment dictated what kind of resources might be available. Tools and other objects were made out of stones, trees or shells. Once these things were skillfully constructed, creative individuals became inspired to add decorative touches. Preserving cultural history through pictures or signs was common, but often the focus was on keeping simple beauty. Artisans in Chicago, Illinois have claimed this global heritage and applied it to local woods salvaged from generations old buildings to make beautiful home decor and striking modern art.

There is much craftsmanship to be seen when discovering the local studios. Seeing and touching the woods used helps visitors to appreciate that modern art through reclaimed wood is wondrous. This material can actually become artistic when used with new eyes and skilled hands. Combining any number of varieties of natural, painted or stained pieces, stunning installations are possible. Once appreciated for the beautiful inner grain or sturdiness in construction, old woods are being used in many art studios.

A visit to a local studio or gallery can be eye opening. There is much that may be accomplished when using varied woods as a palette. The grain inherent in each slice is obvious, but the way it is used can be as different for each artist as there are kinds of trees. Artists in the local Chicago area offer an entire range of anything from exquisite furniture to fine art installation pieces.

These artists are adept at using texture, pattern and color to create exquisite works. With so many variations possible it is not surprising that their art invites human touch as well as visual appreciation. The works intrigue the mind and draw the eye to look at them.

Slices and chips merge to make mosaics filled with movement and rhythm. The high and low of varied sizes creates rugged yet appealing surfaces. Contrasting or complementary stain and paint colors develop thematic units in large pieces. It takes as much time to assemble these as it would to create a traditional tile version, and the final pieces exhibit similar levels of beauty. The skillful eye is able to see pictures in these small units and the hand of the craftsman is skilled to mass them into something much more important as a whole than they were as single bits of material.

It is tempting to assume that all wooden creations will be geometric and angular. But the complexity of these pieces is such that when many pieces are positioned properly they can develop into flowing and even circular designs. What evolves depends completely on the whim of the person working with the tiny parts.

Harvesting materials that are left over after sawing lumber or cutting trees takes on a new look in the hands of the artists. Dust piles, slivers and tiny splinters are all put to good use. Some may have been part of an old building, a barn or anything made of wood. Transforming carpenter cast offs into artistic uses is what motivates the owners of many studios.

Harvesting construction discards results in repetitive geometric patterns. These have the unity of machine work. Assembling hundreds together often develops an entirely different wall surface than has been previously seen.

Seeing new life made from reclaiming recycled bits is part of exciting gallery tours in the city and surrounding areas. Purchasing works at local studios can help to protect the environment. Modern artists are focusing on finding useful ways to create with what was previously old and rejected.




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