Tuesday, 3 February 2015

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

By Janine Hughes


Reclaiming materials from the earth to create useful objects has been a pursuit for ages. People simply used local resources to build the tools and items they needed. In areas where trees were plentiful, the next natural step was to make things attractive. Using the colors and grain became a challenge to the inspired artist, and preserving natural beauty a must. This heritage of craftsmanship is pointedly revived in Chicago, Illinois, where many artisans are using woods reclaimed from many buildings built over one hundred years ago.

An understanding of the craftsmanship that is inherit in using this natural material in a completely new and artistic fashion comes from seeing and touching it. Appreciating modern art through reclaimed wood is a visual and tactile process. It is artists who see the ebb and flow of the lines and desire to use them beautifully. Using natural, stained or painted surfaces in combination with varied textures, many unique installations are created.

The Chicago art scene is populated with many craftsman who use a variety of woods as their inspiration. With varied textures their palette, their experimentation with salvaged pieces are filling local studios and galleries. There are handsome furniture pieces and significant works of fine art available for purchase.

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.

Mosaics are one of the more interesting works seen. Small chips and slivers fill the art with rhythm and movement, with surprisingly fluid circles. A traditional mosaic is very time consuming to assemble, and it is the same with these. The myriad bits of woods, stained and painted alike, combine to make a cohesive larger unit. They are crafted by hands that are skilled with the ability to make something wonderful with the mass of tiny parts.

Any geometric shape is possible, though at first one might think only of angular possibilities. When enough pieces are laid together, circular patterns evolve and even swirling lines take on a completely different look when compared to basic squares and triangles.

Harvesting materials that are basically cast off from other sites has become lucrative for those who are designing new things in Illinois. The piles of dust, slivers and splinters may have come from a Wisconsin farm or an Illinois property. What could have been a floor or a wall becomes a bed or lamp. Lumber that might have been discarded is being transformed into artistic statements.

Construction remnants are made into new artwork. Assembling anything that is repetitive will make an interesting wall covering or patterned walkway. It all depends on the hands of the craftsman.

Woods that lived a previous life as a functional item, yet reclaimed to make something new, are satisfying materials for those passionate about recycling. This is art that is mindful of the earth and how to protect the limited resources it has. The rejected and old become valuable modern art.




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