Burl Bowl.
date. 2017
Wood turned bowl inspired by Japanese minimalism, an artistic direction based on the specific perception of matter and its role in space and time called the concept of ma. Created under the tutelage of Antonín Hepnar, Czechia’s last living master of the traditional woodturning craft from aged burled birch wood, this project emphasizes the "soul" of the object, which is found in the simplicity of shapes and empathy for the true nature of the material.
Skills used: Product design, woodturning
Course: Fine Arts Matura Exam (practicum)
Production length: 2 days
Project Philosophy.
When conceptualizing my graduation project, my guiding thought was to create an object that would fall into the realm of artistic applied art, meaning it would find its use beyond just its aesthetic representation. Furthermore, the aim was for it to be elegant, with the simplest curves or patterns, and made from natural materials. Hence, I mainly worked with materials like paper, wood, glass, fabric, or metal.
Main Inspiration.
My primary inspiration came from Japanese minimalism, an artistic movement stemming
from a specific perception of matter and its role in space in the concept of ma.
"In the concept of ma, space is considered a subjective quantity and is closely related to time – thus,
it is a sort of 'timespace' or 'spacetime'. The perception of art is then based on the grasp of 'intermediate space'. The expression of Japanese space is its general openness, where nothing exists in isolation. All objects in space influence each other, and each space exists only because there
is another space outside of it. Time is an integral part of space, and we feel its 'layers' in space.
At every moment, 'here and now' is interwoven (since space is influenced by weather, season, lighting, and the current activity taking place in it)," wrote Denisa Vostrá in her thesis on the prerequisites of Japanese scenic art.
Japanese minimalism emphasizes the "soul" of an object, which is found in the simplicity of forms and empathizing with the true nature of the material. It thus relinquishes all that is superfluous, adhering to the motto nobilis simplicitas (loosely translated as "beauty in simplicity") and the harmonious blending of an object in space.
Concept, Design, and Realization.
Aiming to create an object with maximum elegance while maintaining its utility, I chose the technique of woodturning, which allows me to connect all five senses through which wood communicates with us. The visual part of the bowl arises from the connection of eye and hand. Through smell, one perceives the scent of the wood, and through touch, one can "feel" the soul of the wood.
From several original designs (see portfolio), I decided to turn a bowl out of a block of glued pastels, which I eventually abandoned due to a lack of material (my project - a public collection of pastels - did not gather enough). Subsequently, I designed several more bowls from pure wood.
The final project was created under the guidance of the artist Antonín Hepnar, the last expert
in traditional woodturning in our region and the only holder of the title "Master of Artistic Craft
in Woodturning," to whom I would like to express my immense gratitude for his incredible support
and interest in my project despite his busy schedule.
Despite the pre-designed concept of the bowl, I found it necessary to adapt the final shape on the fly, as the wood itself dictates what form is aesthetically pleasing to the eye and welcoming to the touch. Thus, the final appearance of the bowl was quite different from all the designs.
Material.
The bowl is made from birch wood, specifically from a part not too commonly seen called burl,
which appears as a cluster of shoots sprouting from the trunk of a tree just above the ground. The burl results in a rich pattern on the bowl.
I received the wood as a gift from Mr. Hepnar, and it had been drying in his shed for more
than fifteen years.
Technique and Process.
The log was first shaped into a cylinder measuring 9 cm in height and 27 cm in width using a band saw before turning. The turning of the inside and outside of the bowl was done in two stages. First, a chuck was centered and screwed onto the log, which was then mounted in the lathe. Chisels were used to remove wood from the outside (bottom side of the bowl). After achieving the desired shape and smoothing out all irregularities, the surface was sanded down and cold-lacquered with an eco-friendly wax and oil-based varnish. Then, the bowl was turned over and mounted from the bottom by expanding the chuck. The inside of the bowl was shaped and smoothed following a similar principle as the outside.
I used traditional straight and curved woodturning chisels for the turning.
The overall conception of the bowl's design took several months, while the actual production took
two days, with one side of the bowl being made each day.
