Wood chips flying from the tree trunkphoto ©Mindy Best, Courtesy of The Scout

Wood chips flying from the tree trunk
photo ©Mindy Best, Courtesy of The Scout

Guest article by David John for Yatzer.com

V.O.W N°41  (17 - 23 October 2011)

>> Wood itself is a living thing. Many times, the pieces that I work with are older than I am, and I try to treat that awareness with the respect of a witness. There is an entire, traceable, unique story within the lifetime of a tree that can be revealed in working with it as wood. I have come to believe that this alone is worth a lifetime of work, investigation and learning. <<
Josh Vogel

The Blackcreek Mercantile &amp;amp; Trading Co. workshop photo © Rose Callahan, Courtesy of The Scout

The Blackcreek Mercantile & Trading Co. workshop
photo © Rose Callahan, Courtesy of The Scout

The Scout released their latest video on Josh Vogel, the artist and craftsman behind the Blackcreek Mercantile & Trading Company.   The Scout's videos are subtle & illuminating reflections on what it means to craft and design in the modern world.  Their previous videos have profiled New York based designers such as Roman and Williams, The Mast Brothers, and Billykirk with precision, and this latest video continues the discussion surrounding designers who effortlessly erase the line between art, craft, architecture and design.

 >> It’s something that excites me about turning; I love that it rides the line between art and craft.
I don’t know where the line is, and my life’s work is trying to figure that out.
<<
Josh Vogel

Video Courtey of The Scout

It's easy to get lost in the fluid lines of Josh Vogel's wooden sculptures.  His work is a poetic reflection on the beauty of natural materials, as well as a portal for looking at time unfolding.  The hushed cascading sounds of the wood chips falling upon his studio floor are a reminder that many of these works can take up to six months to execute and be fully realized. In a conversation with Josh Vogel, he explained that ''there is something very inspirational and uplifting about human scale, handmade accomplishment... undeniably things that are done with the heart.''

Go ahead, get lost in his work, and this video...
 

A butterfly joint is used to secure a crack from the vessel, reminiscent of George Nakashimaphoto © Rose Callahan, Courtesy of The Scout

A butterfly joint is used to secure a crack from the vessel, reminiscent of George Nakashima
photo © Rose Callahan, Courtesy of The Scout

Keep your tools closephoto © Mindy Best, Courtesy of The Scout

Keep your tools close
photo © Mindy Best, Courtesy of The Scout

A small cherry burl turning, roughly 8&#039;&#039; diameterphoto © Mindy Best, Courtesy of The Scout

A small cherry burl turning, roughly 8'' diameter
photo © Mindy Best, Courtesy of The Scout

V.O.W N°41 // Josh Vogel's wooden sculptures

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