This piece was built from hundreds of layers of bamboo
laminated together. Each little square is a separate piece of
bamboo. All the bamboo could have been grown in a few years, instead of
the 50+ years it would have taken to grow a tree this big. The insets are
burls pulled from a local burn pile. The slab is wood that was salvaged
from a drained millpond here in Springfield. The blue coloring is mineral
deposits built up over the last 50 years, while the log was submerged.
Even the steel tubing and plate is reclaimed from demolition of an old
building. Making something visually interesting (I hope) out of cast away
materials was an interesting exercise.
Conceptually this piece was based on the struggle between my own
personal selfish desires and my responsibilities. As my desires pulled
one way the responsibility of family, work, etc. pulled another. The
burls, which are basically the wound of a tree, represent the damage
this struggle can cause. Through this struggle I find myself and
therefore the piece, in a delicately balanced position.
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