http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Drawing with Wood Wed, 09 Jul 2008 07:36:52 +0100 a-n rss generator a-n The Artists Information Company and contributors edit@a-n.co.uk technical@a-n.co.uk http://sites.a-n.co.uk/img/logo.gif http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 I hope to chart the development of this project here, posting my thoughts on what I am doing and some of the work I will hopefully produce. Questioning the relationship between Marquetry and Art may also create a space for discussion within the work.  Asking questions will be as important as attempting to find answers. But What is Marquetry?Marquetry is the practice of inlaying wood veneers. It is a craft more commonly associated with traditional furniture making where designs are cut into veneer and applied to objects.Marquetry is sometimes referred to as painting with wood, where typically an image is created using different types of veneer, the artist exploiting different colours and textures in the material in the same way a traditional painter would. These are the basic definitions which I hope to expand upon and think about more as I progress. In general though Marquetry seems to be something that is less well known of or documented than other crafts. I find this interesting considering the obvious relationship that it has with painting, certainly in the traditional sense. I wonder why this is? In recent years there seems to have been a boom of interest in updating and reimagining various forms of craft. Perhaps I will discover that Marquetry has been a part of this or maybe it is yet to be rediscovered.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 One of the things that attracts me to Marquetry is the material itself. Working in wood has so many possibilities and connotations. I like the idea of connecting with nature through its use. As a starting point this seems more appropriate for me than beginning by trying to simply apply techniques to my work without considering just what Marquetry is conceptually.  The aesthetic appeal of a Marquetry picture is something I personally find difficult and the types of images produced in the main by Marquetarians would certainly not to be everyones taste. There is a kitsch quality to much of the work I have experienced in the past but I think this has more to do with subject matter than anything. Inevitably questions of taste and indeed fashion are part of this and considering the history and traditional uses of Marquetry how this sits with a more modern aesthetic can be a challenge. I will try to think more about this as I progress.What I don't want to do in this project is to criticise the use of the craft in the world of Marquetry; which is incidently a very thriving global community. The UK Marquetry Society was founded in 1952, affiliated to it are many local groups throughout the country. The Staffordshire group, whom I am connecting with during this project are one of these and can lay claim some very talented members. The group also has an excellent website. Links belowhttp://www.marquetry.org/http://www.staffsmarq.freeserve.co.uk/If anyone would like to contact me regarding the project please get in contact helen_thompstone@hotmail.com... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Marquetry is a very precise activity. Getting a slice of veneer to fit perfectly within another is harder than it sounds. There are a variety of techniques for doing this, most commonly a scalpel is used to cut a window in the first sheet, the second veneer to be inlaid is then placed behind this first window. After fixing the two in place the scalpel can then be run along the edge of the window tracing the shape onto the veneer below. After careful cutting the shape can be fitted into the gap and secured with adhesive. Having developed an Art practice that alot of the time could be deemed to lack precision and even skill, attempting something requiring so much patience might be hard. Despite this not all aspects of Marquetry require you to squint over a cutting board for hours on end; at least I don't think they do. Creating some more immediate work will be good to try alongside more ambitious ideas. I think perhaps this is one of the differences between the  craftsman and the Artist in this particular project anyway. Developing the skills and techniques and being able to use these seamlessly I imagine far outweighs the need to use Marquetry conceptually for most hobbyist Marquetarians. Not to say the subject means nothing in this sense, or is irrelevant because I don't believe that is the case. Having a project and completing it to the best standard is something I would hope for too. Having the discipline to perfect the techique above all other concerns however is something I don't necessarily feel I am aiming for.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Notes on veneer I have been thinking about the qualities of veneer. As a metaphor it signifies a surface, a cover up, hidden depth under a fine layer. I like these associations and find it is interesting to think about them relation to how the material is used. The very flatness of veneer could be exploited more in Marquetry rather than being applied to another surface.Traditionally being an alternative to inlay into a solid surface, Marquetry as a cover up acts as a playful 'trick' being easier to execute than inlaying itself. The use of Trompe-l'oeil seems to have grown from this- effectively being used in Marquetry a lot. The play between 2 and 3 dimensions seems a natural way to work with the technique because there is such a fine line between the two in this case. I have been drawn to working in a playful way with some of my initial experiments.  I find I am looking toward wood in general in my process, connecting the solid form to veneer. Refering to wood in the broadest sense seems important to begin to understand the material and how something so solid and imposing as a tree is reduced to such fragile sheets; and similarly how this then returns to be a 3D 'covering' after being worked.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 I think veneer can make you think about trees in a different way, the patterns, deformaties, bug holes and knots. These qualities aren't just potential things of beauty but say alot more about the lives of the trees they came from. How the marks in the wood tell a tale about the growth and specifics of the situation in which the tree grew is quite incredible. Every inch growing in a different way with variable factors becoming literally ingrained within.  Taking these peculiarities for granted, looking at shapes and pattern not just for their potential as pieces of an unmade picture emphasises the life cycle of wood. How the material has a diversity beyond other materials becomes apparent the more a leaf of veneer is studied.I'm not sure I like veneers being referred to as a palette though, I think because it seems too closely related to painting and seems a bit limiting. Nevertheless this 'palette' is full of endless possibilities and surprises which I find exciting.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Notes about the woodworker I've been trying in my mind to get to grips with wood and began to read 'Woodland Crafts in Britain' by Herbert Eldin. Putting into context the cultural importance wood Eldin outlines how many industries have unquestionably relied on wood and woodworkers over the centuries. This is sort of aside from a central discussion of marquetry but something I think is really important. As links to the countryside are imprtant to me anyway it made sense to see the connections made with rural life in this book. Tools, fuel and construction simply could not have existed without wood for so many traditional industries and rural operations. Everything began with the woodsman.Only the day before photographing a tumble-down old farm cart this became more significant when looking at the relationship of woodman to wheelwright to farmer etc and similar chains all dependent on a source of wood. It seemsed quite apt to have been drawn to this relic of a woodworking age for this project. It seems the old 'craft/ Art' debate re appears here again. Marquetry doesn't immediately sit easily as a 'woodland craft' owing to its less functional applications and associations with cabinet making and 'fine applied Arts'. Eldins book avoids these crafts and concentrates on those linked more to forestry, trade and agriculture and particularly woodworking that has been practiced in Britain but has now died out. Eldins exploration however has a lot that I find I can link to Marquetry and which is both relevant and interesting. Primarily appreciating the versatility and rewards to be found in working with wood.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Play with Parquetry Parquetry is the use of geometric design in marquetry. Games boards and furniture typically finding use for the technique. I like the simplicity of making up chequered sheets. Slicing straight edges and worrying less about the holes in between joins. I've tried to play about with this considering geometry in nature, using the monkey puzzle branch which is a beautiful object in itself.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Paper Cuts One of the things Marquetry seems more akin to at the moment is the Art of paper cuts. This seems to have become quite trendy recently with Artists like Peter Callesen, Richard Sweeney and Jen Stark. The fragility of the material and the actual 'cut' itself as the critical action. Both techniques require precision and a slip of the blade could cause an irreversible error. Peter Callesen particularly makes some interesting work both pictorial and sculptural. The varying scale in this work jumps from the standard A4 sheet to massive installations, the material proving no obstacle for the ideas. I saw the fairytale castle that the artist made in the 'Art and Enchanment' exhibition that toured to Walsall earlier this year. There wasn't much I found enchanting about the exhibition but I did enjoy the castle, cut and constructed from an enourmous sheet of paper, the cuts and holes exposed revealing the process of its construction.Infact discarded pieces of veneer that have had pieces removed for pictures are fascinating to me. Perfect shapes hover in the middle of a carefully selected sheet, having provided a piece for a picture these incomplete sheets lie in wait for the next time they may be of use. There are endless connections between paper and veneer- obviously products of wood. Also historically and culturally both among the most accessible and familiar of primitive art materials. Papercutting has its origins in East Asia- China and Japan where the craft is still very important- and reading of it's rural origins is interesting- like work with wood it has developed within the countryside and developed in a more sophisticated manner, transferred to the workshop as a higher form of art.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Collection of woody vocabulary and a literary referenceLots of wonderful words and phrases jump out of thinking around wood. I mentioned the veneer metaphor before but more than this many words connect to trees and wood in their origins. i'll compile a little list...Snedding, Barking, SniggedTug, Twigged, branching out, borker, janker, stumped,Apparently Evelyn Waughs writing can be linked to marquetry, his interest in the craft being reflected in his intricately inlaid sub plots! ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Folk Art I've been thinking about this a bit as I came across this link http://www.tramp-art.com/folk_marquetry.htm . I'm not really sure whether there is a difference between Outsider art, folk art, tramp art or other definitions. I do think marquetry and this project have a relationship to it on several levels. Any amatuer craft could be deemed 'folk Art' I suppose although I wouldn't necessarily want to attach this label here. I do think a lack of artistic training can be used legitimately to differentiate artists but again that isn't that important really? How one approaches the craft and why is.If a surge in craft movements was borne out of increasing Urbanisation and industrialisation this reaction is interesting. Artistic rules, academic traditions and aesthetics, would be progressing at an equally rapid rate, a rejection of which would automatically leave makers 'outside' of the progressive arts. A return to nature on the face of it denys the urban and the mechanisation of the industrial age.There are inconsistencies though. Marquetry really draws on a global resource with materials originating from all over the world. Global development can be see to expand upon the craft with the introduction of all kinds of exotic materials for the artist to work with. In a way more than other art forms marquetry makes global connections in a way others don't. An accessible craft which potentially allows anyone the privilege of working with an enormous range of natural yet unfamiliar materials. I think this is worth thinking about.Another thing that the lack of a formal training allows is more creative freedom. In understanding how those involved with marquetry work it is a lot of the time about the discovery of new techniques and methods. These can be shared and developed by others and I think it is this is what makes something like marquetry so interesting for those involved. There is a gentleman in the Staffordshire group who converted a sewing machine to cut veneer- a sort of concocted fret saw- this demonstrates wonderful creativity and invention which is what for me essentially defines so called 'folk Art'... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Piles Working in the countryside has a lot to do with piles (not the complaint, but of materials) Piles of things are constantly being moved from one place to another, gathered, bundled together, harvested, moved, mown, stacked, un-stacked, restacked, spread about.Wood features prominently, there is something very satisfying about a neatly stacked wood pile, chunks and slices of timber ready to be used when the cold comes. Equally a ramshackle and disordered pile of wood has its appeal, bits of timber left over from a past construction, rotting logs and old window frames all thrown together and looking for a use. My shards of left over veneer reminded me of this. Sitting in little piles they were too good to throw away looking like a snapshot of a miniature timber yard. I was also reminded of the frequent and horrific sight at art school of piles of boards and off cuts strewn in and around the college skip; leftovers of art making and exhibiting. The aftermath of the 8x4 and the continual cycle of waste.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Rummaging Rummaging through a couple of boxes of veneers held by the Staffs Marquetry group I came across lots of lovely looking things. Veneers are fairly inconsistent and I imagine it can take a long time to understand how to approach their selection. Some are very thick and tough to cut, others wafer thin and frighteningly delicate. Getting the right veneer for the job and it being reasonably easy to work with can be difficult. Often the most interesting veneers visually are the burrs which are typically knotty and coarse and a challenge for even the most practiced cutter. I photographed some of the things I came across as it is hard to think about the visual diversity of the material when it isn't all in front of you. Some of the most attractive ones were very plain- hornbeam and horse chestnut; which are beautifully pure and white. I also like the fleshy pinkness of the pear. I wonder about connecting the association with a particular tree with what its timber actually looks like. Does the trees outer appearance correspond to what lies within? Knowing what type of veneer each is can be pretty difficult and various library references can be referred to. This is very much like looking through a wooden deluxe catalogue which I quite like the idea of. http://www.staffsmarq.freeserve.co.uk/misc/veneers.htm... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Fragmentation I have been trying to use a technique known as fragmentation, involving tiny pieces of veneer. Cutting across the grain of the wood you can break strips into fragments which can then be packed into a space to create a sort of speckled effect. The idea really relates to traditional formal painting in the way it seems to be used- creating varying concentrations of colour and tone to a picture. Again with drawing this is about getting a material to do what typically a pencil can.From what I have seen of it the most popular or common use of fragmentation is to create an effect of leaves in trees. Solving the problem of cutting individual leaves and allowing dyed veneers to be used alongside natural ones; fragmentation seems to be one of the more acceptable means of bringing unnatural colour to images.I think there is potential for many things with this approach and I know that the methods are various and results wide ranging. Of the basic, general techniques of Marquetry this is one I am more intrigued by as it seems a lot more random than straight forward cutting. There is a little less control over the finished result, it is less precise, quite messy and strangely therapeutic. Slithering strands and breaking them up can take a long time, particularly getting the amount of fragments needed to make up a section. I think you can allow the mind to wander a little more whilst doing it. Also ramming the gritty little bits into a hole with lots of glue is enjoyable as is the anticipation of seeing the result.It reminds me of pebble dashing, not something I've ever had the privilege of doing but it seems to have similarities on a different scale. Also as I seem to have various works and ideas underway at the moment the project itself is feeling pretty fragment.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 With Pictures in mind, a visit to the tip I went to the local tip yesterday. There were at least four skips designated for timber, mdf, chipboard and all things wooden. I was reminded of my piles of timber and will be making efforts to produce some work based around this. I have been working away from the conventional use of marquetry in terms of picture making but not purposely avoiding it. Obviously subject is important and balancing this with the material is delicate.  I have specifically mentioned drawing in the project title so this remains essential. As I progress, the material itself is undoubtedly the subject; outside of this too it is wood in its different forms which will feature in any representational work. On my journey home I also took note of the long line of wooden fencing separating various suburban gardens. Each a little different in shade and size and slotted into concrete supports, these flimsy panels reminded me of the veneers I have been handling. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 A Picture I am continuing to find new ways to work with veneer, usually by accident, so find myself beginning new work before finishing other things. A slip of the scalpel yesterday produced some lovely strands which coiled and twisted with the run of the grain. A wooden drawing of a see-saw.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Crafting Central to the project is the consideration of Marquetry as a craft. No one can have avoided the renaissance of knitting over the last few years and concurrent interest in ‘crafting'. Not only as an art form but the activity itself, crafting is hip? A number of cultural and social factors can be seen to be responsible for driving this trend in ‘making' that not only affects artists but all sorts of people in many different ways. I have a lot of research to do work on in regard to this side of the project. Earlier in the year a conference held at the University of Dundee addressed craft research in its varying guises. Socially engaged craft, craftivism, the ethnographic slant and industrial processes; all important and relevant stuff.  Does Marquetry relate to a particular gender? I'd say it is a practice dominated more by males and traditionally furniture and cabinet making would have been a male dominated profession. In the resurgence of craft we experience now is this influenced by gender? I'm not sure this is important or that I am that interested in the issue but I do generally associate woodworking with men I think.Unlike knitting Marquetry can't be done at the bus stop and neither can many other crafts. I think there is too large a gap between how craft is being redefined. From the activist, make do and mend attitude to the design approach- meticulous detail of the highest quality.  Discovering what ‘craft' can actually mean today is essential. I think it is easy for craftsmen to get hung up on the definitions of Art and Craft as they as terms have come to be viewed in opposition. Looking at how the two overlap and even if they are distinct from one another could prove positive, even put an end to a debate that has really run out of steam.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 PaintingI am attempting to use veneer in an intuitive way with one of my pieces of work. Creating an image from the existing patterns within the veneer the process feels closer to the way I am more used to making art. Also I am feeling the parallels between painting a lot more working in this way, letting the picture emerge from the veneer. I think this reflects a distinct division between picture making and painting, and maybe artist and craftsman?I saw something within this particular veneer immediately and translating the information of the grain seemed to be a very natural process. It is like a series of sums and in a way exactly like painting. Removing areas, retaining others the choices with the veneer are the same as with paint itself. Working in an abstract way I feel more emphasises the quality of the wood and seems to get to the heart of it. Most pictorial marquetry seems to attempt to expose the natural beauty of wood but it is precisely these complex parings with other veneers that cause the aesthetic value of a lot of work to be questioned. Although you can identify sections of veneer in pictures the pieces are often sitting alongside many other pieces, almost lost and out of context. Veneers are incredibly distinct and complicated in their appearance, in a way so perfect individually that I feel this should be exploited more within their use in art. The piece I am using as the starting point is threaded with lines and veins. It looks like a dense forest, a throbbing mass of arteries which are disordered, out of control, almost flowing. Retaining this was my motivation and I hope it will work out............ Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 InjectionsI was shown this piece of veneer by Quentin who founded and belongs to the Staffordshire group. It is thoroughly garish, acid orange and electric blue with flashes of purple and yellow. I think it had been acquired from someone in the U.S or Canada and is an example of a timber injected with dye. Anyway he thought it worth showing me and I am glad he did. I am aware of the use of dyed veneers and even manmade ones but this was something I hadn't heard of. Effectively injecting a tree with a colour whilst it is still living the dye is carried through the wood to create a unique effect once the tree is felled. Like the xylem tests in high school science, charting dye sucked through a celery stalk this is same thing on a grand scale. I'm not sure what the veneer is but the effect is certainly distinct. I like the idea of it, not knowing how the colour will carry on the inside of the tree and the result being unpredictable. Like an experiment in process painting the end product is a surprise result in itself. Thinking about painting again here this is an example of the material quite literally being painted into before even being used in any form of marquetry. The readymade nature of this piece also is worth mentioning. With a distinctive grain and the blue of water or sky it almost feels inevitable that it should be used as part of a landscape of some sort. Perhaps there is such demand that veneer is produced with an endpoint like this in mind. Whatever its use I would hate for the grotesqueness of the piece to be lost as it is so striking an example of a human intervention in to nature. In fact the whole idea of how the veneer is coloured makes it a highly challenging material to begin thinking about using.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Straw Marquetry Marquetry isn't exclusive of wood, which I may have appeared to have overlooked so far. Shell, mother of pearl and straw are among other materials that are able to be inlaid in some form to be known as Marquetry. Straw is of interest to me as being on a farm and handling it as part of my daily routine the material feels familiar. Straw Marquetry really does feel like a rural craft and somehow more feminine?? I think because it's gold and shiney. The guild of straw craftsmen has a section dedicated to this branch of working with straw alongside many other techniques and practices. The corn dolly is an iconic symbol of traditional rural folk art and it appears that straw as a material in general is steeped in tradition and at times great eccentricity. Straw itself can be sub divided into types and doesn't exclusively apply to wheat, although generally it is wheat that is used (apparently oats are very good for Marquetry) Connecting to farming and the countryside craftsmen working with these crops have an important role to play in the history of farming and the land. Like thatching, the creativity that belongs to this material is enormous. The technique of using straw for marquetry is pretty simple, carefully slit and flattened the straw can be opened out then arranged to form a picture or cover a surface. My initial foray into this area has been to expose the pure goldeness of the material. Talking about the familiarity of bales of straw it is quite different to be concentrating on individual stems. The variation of colour, texture and size is broad ranging; it feels strange to be using this particular agricultural material in this way when I'm more used to spreading it about as bedding for cows. The lightness of both colour and weight can be played upon and it is the natural shine and range of golden tones which seems to be the main value of the material in marquetry. It's certainly a lot different from working with veneer but in a way just as intriguing.Link to the guild of Straw craftsmen - recommend Elda Heidemanns dyed straw marquetry- wonderfully folky and lots of other interesting straw related things.http://www.strawcraftsmen.co.uk/links.html... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Commercial crafts A few days ago I listened to a basket maker talk about her craft and was inspired by her enthusiasm. Another archetypal rural craft the relationship to maker and material is fascinating and incredibly linked to the environment and nature. In relation to the last entry I made about straw one of the objects discussed incorporated this into it. A dainty chair of rushed seating from France incorporated straw within the weave to give a gold finish. I have always taken for granted this type of furniture but it has an incredible amount of effort invested in it and I will be bearing this in mind from now on when parking myself. As twigs are becoming a bit of a reoccurring theme for me the thought of raiding hedgerows and bushes for material is very appealing. Like veneer the qualities of the branches are diverse and hearing this talked about seemed to have a lot in common with the way I have been thinking about wood. Basket making seems to be in an ambiguous place commercially and artistically, woven baskets that we would think nothing about buying for very little are all handmade. Extremes of woven materials exist between the luxury of a traditionally made object and those imported and undervalued. The evolution of such a craft into an art form feels like an important consideration, not just in a sense of form over function but historically and culturally too. To think about Marquetry commercially is also interesting. Laser cutting means that designs that would have traditionally have taken many many hours to cut by hand can now be produced quickly and with impeccable accuracy. A company in Wales produces Marquetry in this way commercially which is intriguing. What is the demand for Marquetry commercially and who is buying it?..........well looking at the link Stella McCartney seems to be a happy customer and it is certainly interesting to see what is on offer and what people appear to be buying, not to mention a question of taste. There are some interesting commissions on the site from interior designers and architects. If one were to undertake a large scale project this approach could enable marquetry to be used with much less restriction for the artist. Marquetry could be produced on a huge scale as public works or with architecture in mind? Panelling, billboards, the sides of buildings or expanses of wall........lots to get carried away with www.aryma.co.uk... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Revision As I progress I find I look back at things I've written and want to change them. I feel a bit like a naughty school girl making changes to previous entries so I think it is better to reflect within the blog rather than becoming my own editor. Infact I seem to have become a little bit preoccupied with thinking about what a blog actually is that I am getting distracted from the main point of it all.One thing I thought about earlier was the technical skill of perfecting a craft. I felt as if this were secondary to my ideas in some way but now I'm not sure this sounded right. The whole point of adopting Marquetry was to use it as it should be and to produce work properly and with skill, be it in my own way. Finding a way to unite the precision of craft with my own practice and general attitiudes toward making is crucial. It is the skill with working veneer that gives it such potential not just the material itself. It isn't just having the ideas to try and come up with something original but acknowledging the tradition and history of craft itself which is rooted in great skill. I can see I have the potential to improve technically, ( and have done already to some extent) this seems natural and essential to the development of my work.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Silas Kopf Silas Kopf is an American artist with a high profile for his marquetry he is an example of someone that seems very engaged with the practice it's tradition and history. With a degree in architecture his wood working came later, discovering marquetry whilst working in various workshop situations for other people. Kopf's work is essentially commercial applying his marquetry to all sorts of furniture, cabinet making in general being an important theme underlying what he does and that specific tradition. I like fact that this can be related to a background in an architecture where the construction of a utilitarian object was the main objective, underpinned by drawing. Thinking about this in relation to kopf's furniture production connections are definitely apparent. Kopf has a market for his work and makes things to sell. Despite this he does sit on the fence a little in terms of his art although he doesn't seem to care too much, essentially calling himself a craftsmen and making his own admission that his work will never be acknowledged as avant garde. I ‘think I'm a good craftsman and that what I do is interesting because of the level of skill that goes into it, and that if somebody finds some art content in it, either that it's an interesting furniture design or there is an interesting pictographic concept, so much the better' Kopf(Actually reading interviews with various people involved with the Marquetry society in the UK they generally seem indifferent to whether they are called artists or craftsmen or if what they do is Art or craft which is probably a good thing.)Working in the ‘trompe l‘oiel' tradition Kopfs pieces ranges from the satisfying trickery of table tops to some things that are downright weird (Betty Boo having sex with a peanut??) From what I have seen I note a struggle with the aesthetic and the subject, particularly the portraiture which some of the more bizarre works play on, but not to undermine a certain originality. I like the way he talks about his work though and his discipline and respect for his craft of which he is clearly amongst the elite in terms of skill. http://www.silaskopf.com/index.htmlThe website seems to illustrate commercial stuff and I think there are more interesting images of his work elsewhere. Various things I have read lead to interesting questions and considerations however.......‘can you really get emotional content out of it that surpasses just the awesomeness of the fact that it is done in wood? I'm always fighting-not fighting that, but that is a thing that I think about. Seduction of the material and technique' KopfThis relates to how I can't seem to detach myself from having to relate the content of marquetry to wood as a material, the fundamental struggle of subject matter. It is interesting that someone in Kopfs position mentions this and also how the skill and material tends to takes priority over the content. Kopf also seems actively engaged with issues of sustainability and ecology surrounding working with tropical timbers. Something I haven't really written about but that is a question that seems to be raised within the practice and is increasingly relevant. Having studied in Europe and practicing marquetry professionally for many years Kopf is a central figure in the continuation of the precision of the craft of marquetry. Work for Steinway Pianos illustrates this and he seems to be out on his own in a way in terms of his market and profession. He also provides some interesting reference points in the way of Art nouveau artists whose work he has been influenced by.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Max Hymes I have discovered a really interesting visual artist who uses marquetry within his work. Max Hymes is a sculptor whose works incorporate various elements of traditional craft alongside modern materials, concepts and techniques. I like his approach and what he is producing which makes reference to significant periods within the history of craft whilst amalgamating historical and contemporary aesthetic tastes. The Arts and Crafts movement is so important to the study of craft that taking this into account in some way seems inevitable. Pointing to ideas regarding local materials, the exotic and heterogeneous societies- there seems to be a lot going on within Hymes' work; this is reflected in an eclectic style which seems to incorporate amongst other things elements of folk art alongside the more lavish notion of the objet d'art. I have been thinking about ranges of materials too from the available and inexpensive to the natural and manmade, what we consider luxurious and those taken entirely for granted. Within marquetry there is a huge array of materials to consider. Some of the manmade veneers I have encountered are themselves quite bizarre, fabricated grains that mimic those to be found naturally. Some I find look like retro prints or designs you might find on an out of date jumper. I think within marquetry circles these are more often than not dismissed for being inauthentic and are used more for backing pictures rather than playing a significant part in the actual design.I think these manmade veneers have their own qualities though that are worth considering and in reality we are surrounded by them everyday, from laminate floors to those plastic walnut finishes that appear to look so great on car doors.Some of Max Hymes work and other links can be found at the bearspace gallery website below http://www.bearspace.co.uk/home.html... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Urban FieldA symposium dedicated to contemporary craft practice is to be held this week in Surrey. Discussing rural and Urban crafts the content looks very good with some interesting speakers contributing. I am interested to note that Dr Ian Hunter of the Littoral Arts trust will be contributing as he has been very involved with an art that engages with agriculture. His talk promises to cover an argument from a more unusual perspective'I want to argue that we need radically to rethink current crafts practice and policy in this country, and bypass its current preoccupation with gaining credibility in the art world and also to wean it of its fixation with the unsustainable high-end designer/consumer market ethos; and seek new ways of realigning the critical energies, core traditions and inventiveness of contemporary craft practice with some of the strategic programmes now being proposed by governments, NGOs and communities world-wide to tackle the impact of climate change, depletion of fossil fuel stocks, rural development and agricultural change and environmental sustainability'As I only found out about this today I won't be going but will try to follow the outcomes. I think it is important to note the 'Pre-occupation' mentioned above, of craft gaining credibility in the art world. I think it is very true that this is unsustainable but perhaps the only way some makers feel they gain critical and artistic recognition. The relationship this has to the Art world being almost exclusively urban does inform this mindset so I wonder what alternatives will be proposed? not just for craft but in general this is an important issue. where Marquetry fits with all of this I am not sure? but In talking about urban and rural think it falls between a definition of the two. Not rustic enough to be a truely rural craft yet engaged enough with a natrual material that it can't be entirely seperated from the countryside. At the same time there is a certain finesse to Marquetry that does feel more urban and in touch with some sort of fine art world. www.urbanfield.org.uk/thesymposium.html ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Woody MillerOne of the main pictures I have been working on is taking me ages. Partly because the veneer is very fragile and sliqhtly warped. As well as this I am using a lot of fragmentation in the picture which means lots of tiny shards need to be cut which although a speedy process compared to some aspects of marquetry- I seem to be taking a long time. A member of the staffordshire group uses a pepper mill to grind his bits of veneer for similar purposes. I thought I would give this a go too so have bought a pepper mill that I will load up with veneer shards and have a try. I like this improvisation of a tool like this, so simple and logical.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 A few notes on drawingAs the title of the project implicates drawing into this I feel I should make a few connections here. Like craft, drawing is an expansive subject, especially now as digital work has opened up a whole new set of possibilities. It also seems to ask some of the same questions that have occurred whilst thinking about craft in considering it's relevance to today's visual art.How useful is it and how is it defined?Marquetry is definitely a lot to do with marks, not just mark making but found marks, exploiting lines and tones that occur naturally in the grain. Part of the skill and invention in marquetry is being able to use these marks, to make similar choices about line, tone and texture that are fundamental to any traditional drawing practice. The mimicry of a surface, form or volume is a key link in Marquetry as a method of drawing. There are certain veneers that resemble surfaces so accurately that they become a sort of standard key to many images. So things like water, hair, silk can be found in likeness to certain veneers and used within representational picture making.  The consistency of marks to be found within certain types of veneer can influence the idea and perhaps this is why traditional subject matter can sometimes be repetitive?The linking of a real surface or material to a veneer as a starting point to a piece of work is very important to understanding of the attraction of marquetry.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Some thoughts and ideasI am continuing with some of smaller works, some outdoor experiments (weather permitting, rained off today) and applying some techniques to cardboard.Feels like I have fingers in lots of pies which is good but keeps me distracted from completing things. Having given myself such an open brief I maybe need to hone in on certain areas rather than trying to maintain every possible angle? The difficulty with this is that I don't feel I know enough about anything to start making those kinds of decisions. Playing about seems more appropriate when I seem so easily distracted. Research is also hard, just in the sense that I feel it hasn't got started even though it has, there is such a lot to think about, views to consider and traditions, what exactly am I researching? I guess research never becomes more than snippets of information when writing in this way because there isn't enough room to write at great length. Also I wonder whether anyone reads this? And sometimes even if I want anyone to?... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Cardboard InlayInlaying veneer has led me to creating some pieces using other materials. I have been producing some work in cardboard, mainly cereal packaging using their visuals to make little pictures. Using the window method similar to that with ‘normal' marquetry I am finding this quite enjoyable. The images I am lifting are in various forms representations of the nature and farming and seem relevant my way of working and interests. I'm not entirely sure where these are going but are allowing me to think in some different directions whilst making connections and references to other areas of my own work. I am finding that making a link between other materials and the experience of working with these using a specific technique helps with things.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Drawing an IllusionI was quite excited when I stumbled across Susan Collis's work. She is using Marquetry in her work in a way I had been leaning towards and after my initial reaction of ‘oh that's a bit annoying she's done what I wanted to do' I identify the differences in her approach as well as similarities. So I got over that and have become more interested in her work and where she is coming from. Collis uses (amongst other things) Marquetry/ inlay techniques to create the illusion of marks on surfaces such as chairs, walls, floors. The imperfections are highlighted in things through their replication in precious materials such as gold, pearls and gem stones. So a reference to very early marquetry which was more about inlaying precious materials into wood (rather than being confined to veneer) is apparent. Drawing seems essential to Collis's work which is a lot about mark making. Importantly though acknowledging a sense of time and labour is something the work communicates too. Craftsmen working several centuries ago (16-1800's) invested unbelievable amounts of time to single pieces. Working on incredibly intricate designs for extravagant furniture this kind of craftsmanship is virtually unheard of today. Collis's subtly marked work tables, step ladders and overalls highlights the investments made to the art making process the values placed upon this and the objects themselves.I think importantly the illusion is not created as an end in itself unlike more traditional uses of marquetry trickery, which are easy to move on from once you get the joke. There is a lot more beyond the surface of things.Collis is showing at the V and A in a very slick looking craft exhibition. http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1637_outoftheordinary/artists_detail.php?artistTag=collisAnyway I'd cut this tea stain mark that I've been trying to photograph on a dry day and I got around to it at last.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Merry ChristmasCold and Christmas slowing things down, hope to get things in order come next year.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Oysters Things here are continuing with other stuff going on too.  Before Christmas I had dropped into the staffs Marquetry group to see if they had any ideas about Oysters…..Not the fishy type in shells but the Marquetry technique or effect that shares the same name. I found a definition that might clarify this a bit  ‘Veneers cut across the grain of small branches of trees such as walnut, olive and laburnum, and laid decoratively. Popular circa 1700’ Basically these slices of branches can be assembled to form patterned sheets, which have an appearance similar to an oyster shell.  To buy, these veneers are expensive and they often feature on antique furniture rather than being used for pictures. I like the idea of using the slices of twigs in some way and wanted to produce some of my own. I was introduced to a razor saw, a very dainty tool with many fine teeth for cutting and a thin blade, essential to attempting to cut anything to veneer thickness.  By lucky coincidence I had a couple of twigs with me and was able to produce some little oysters quite nicely. So this has given me some other things to think about. Without a lot of equipment creating sheets of veneer would be a fairly impossible task so this feels like a scaled down version, a way of working with a piece of wood from scratch.  Christmas brought this shiny looking razor saw too and a good opportunity for making use of the tree once it had done its job. I am still in the process of stretching its creative potential.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 wood in the newsI have been enjoying the coverage of the timber washed up on the sussex shore. There are some amazing pictures of it on the net. Waves of wood which look like tiny matchsticks. I wonder about the attention it has provoked. Would a public art installation of a similar affect have attracted the masses? Extraordinary alterations to familiar places are more acceptable or appreciated if they are accidental or natural.Anyway, its a pretty spectacular display of wood. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Quilting for menI read this definition yesterday and found it quite funny. 'Male Quilting' was a term applied to Marquetry after labour intensive woodworking had become less in demand and relegated to folk art status. Hobbyist work was seen to have a similar relationship to quilting and stitch work. I thought a bit about this earlier in the project, that Marquetry seems a male dominated craft. The intricacy and detail does have a lot in common with needle work though so the link made in this description makes sense. Quilting seems an obsessive hobby, requiring patience as well as creativity- much as marquetry does. I don't know much about quilting but historically it was something that required many hours of work. Huge pieces produced by women over many years and continued through subsequent generations, all by hand.  Working delicate pieces of veneer is like working with fabric in many ways, creating joins and fusing materials together.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Vinyl MarquetryI've tried to incorporate other materials into my work and plastic is one that isn't entirely alien to marquetry. 'Marquetry' by Pierre Raymond is a comprehensive book that charts the history, development, tools and techniques of the craft. It covers many angles and has been really useful to me over the past few months.  Plastic gets a mention alongside natural materials, whale bone, ivory, mother of pearl, coral as well as many metals. Using the figure of the grain from a roll of vinyl 'veneer' (sticky back plastic with a wood effect) I have made  a picture. My avoidance of pictorial work so far has been evident so making a 'proper' picture from a synthetic material has a hint of irony. As well as the materials being off the shelf at Wilkinsons.Giving the sheets a firm backing I have cut the veneers into one another as normal. One was an imitation Beech design and the other a Walnut burr - both had surprisingly interesting qualities to their make up.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Where am I now?  When I started this project I was aware that the National marquetry society exhibition was to be hosted in Staffordshire in 2008. To be looking into the craft in the run up to this seemed a logical move for me having been thinking about this for a while. Producing a piece of writing, or work or having something to say about what I have been doing by the time of the exhibition would be ideal.  The event for the Marquetry society and members is the biggest in their calendar and a big undertaking by the hosts. It would be nice if my project contributed in some way to drawing attention to this as a form of visual art and an activity with artistic potential for different kinds of people.   How I go about this without encroaching on the exhibition poses another question. It isn’t really about offering an alternative but looking at what I have found and developed from mainstream ‘traditional’ contemporary marquetry. Raising awareness of others using similar techniques as a way to make work, should be something to be shared.  I feel I have opened up a range of ways of working for myself but am also overwhelmed by what understanding a craft like this means and beginning to know where to fit it with other work.  I also wonder at this point how long I will keep writing here as I try to think what to do next with it all. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Working with othersWorking in schools has given me reason to think how this project could be shared with young people. Sharp knives and small children not being a great combination, other ways of applying the basic principles of working with veneer are possible. The work I have done using vinyl sheets  could be an ideal way of producing collaborative, community and education work. The direction of the project might focus on this as I look ahead and balance working alone with others. At a point where I felt I needed to change my way of working this seems like a productive and worthwhile thing to focus on. In conjunction with the National Marquetry exhibition this may work well, better in fact than simply trying to present my own work in some way. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Hot ChipThe electo pop-ish band Hot chip have an intriguing cover to their latest single. It looks like a lumpy marquetry mass. Their album covers have been good in the past so I was pleased to see this and wonder where it came from? ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Finding thingsI found a tray in a charity shop constructed from a marquetry design. It was too nice to not buy and someone had clearly spent a lot of time on it. I am finding that time is something I am short of and fitting in significant periods of making anything is hard but I am thinking about the project a lot as I do other things. I bought some nice veneers from a craft shop and the man told me that a lot of the materials they sell are the off cuts from car manufacture. Particularly one which came from jaguar- a manmade veneer that he called snake eye.... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 AprilI only posted once in March, should I feel guilty? I probably wouldn't even be writing this if someone that I know hadn't have got in touch today to say the had looked at the blog. It was a good prompt anyway. I am going to be running a workshop in conjunction with the National marquetry exhibition in Stoke next month. This got decided quite last minute and has given me a lot of stuff to think about and organise. This is good and has given me motivation where I was struggling. I feel like I have made an opportunity for myself which I am pleased about and returned to my original focus of working up to this particular event or at least having something to show for the past few months.   ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Activities Today the National Marquetry Exhibition opens in Stoke on Trent. This is the show of the membership organisation ‘The Marquetry society’ so not something I am exhibiting in. I will however be at the venue tomorrow, hosting an activity based around Marquetry but not the activity itself. By this I mean I am not using actual veneers or making ‘real’ Marquetry but facilitating something to illustrate the principles of the craft using a much quicker and child friendly process.    I have been preparing for this for a while ( it has crept up on me) although various other things have got in the way, but then they always do. So rushing around for materials and collecting together my ideas.  I don’t even know whether I will get to make this entry as the site seems to be down as I write this Saturday May 3rd, which is typical having not added to the blog for a month and now needing to and not being able. (it started working again)   I have prepared lots of Vinyl sticky back veneer effect sheet which will be the main material for the public to work with. Despite being wholly artificial the grains on these different rolls are actually pretty interesting and surprisingly effective. I’ve tried to devise enough activities for different ages, applying different stages of the process of marquetry. Really it’s about looking and working with a grain but I will be looking forward to seeing if it works for a session like this and to get some response. I hope it will be pretty relaxed but it could be a disaster?  Location- The Gladstone pottery museum, Stoke on Trent- 12-4 free entry. Tomorrow May 4th  ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 What other people doI had a good day yesterday, doing my activities with people, most of whom hadn't encountered Marquetry before. Preparing for something like this has given me more ideas for my own work. The exhibition itself was very interesting -to see what goes on in  Marquetry circles -and though I feel quite removed from it on one level, I admire the skill, time and investment in this craft. It is quite amazing to see, especially listening to other peoples reactions when they realise the process behind it. It isn't like amateur painting or photography, it feels very unique, obsessive and unpretentious. I like what other people do, particulary the public and I felt like I had something to offer. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 Back to the start  I am thinking now about why I started this project in the first place and all the things I haven’t done or have, inadvertently. One reason I really came to thinking about Marquetry at the beginning quite simply because trees have featured in previous work. I wanted to work with wood and to make a connection to this aspect of nature in some other way than I had before. I suppose taking a more direct approach to a material I hoped to be able to actually make things for a change, develop a skill that was closer to the formal approaches that I had left behind or dismissed during Art College.   I have way too many ideas on how I could develop what I have started and I don’t think trying to slot a very specific and skilful craft into my existing practice was  necessarily an easy thing to do. I now have this completely new angle on my work that I am trying to figure out where to place?   I picked up the observer book of trees, an old copy and it was written by the same man who wrote the book on rural crafts that I dipped into at the start of this. I thought it was quite fitting that these two points met without me knowing it and that my interests too haven’t digressed too much either, I think I have kept things relevant even if they didn’t seem so at the time. ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038 June PostI decided to write a final post here. I think the blog has run its course.  Continuing to write here might turn a bit counter productive now I've moved away from the intentions that I started with.  I dont want to write something that isn't at all interesting for anyone else either. I think there are certain things that you can do with a blog but also things that you can't- so its time for a change. The project will continue in some form on my own website where some of this work is already posted but I will be writing something to go alongside it. Currently I am chopping up twigs and drawing and although it isn't all about Marquetry- I have that there in the background and will be surfacing again soon I'm pretty certain. www.onethingandanother.co.uk ... Thu, 01 Jan 1970 01:00:00 +0100 http://sites.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/380038