Project Name:
Me In The Middle
Artist:
Jerry Flynn
Apprenticed under John Gallis, an accomplished western furniture maker from Cody, WY
Inspiration:
Metal Sculpture by Claire Falkenstein (1908-1997)
The Guggenheim Museum in Venice, Italy
Concept:
A circular design with figures to clearly define the center and perfectly book-matched left and right sides.
Specs:
Made of peeled, soft maple twigs. Five feet in diameter with 547 twigs and 795 joints. The joints were seamlessly coped together then epoxied and nailed with a 23 gauge pin. Book-matched sides – the left and right sides are mirror images. Finished with clear coats of lacquer.
Process:
For this piece, Jerry sought consistency in size and smoothness in materials to draw attention to the entire piece as one unit. He worked with The Bark House Team to choose the right material for the desired outcome.
The challenge was creating a technique that would yield both the desired aesthetic and the structural integrity desired. Once accomplished, a mere 10 twigs could be added on a good day.
Jerry reports that all concept of time and place disappeared as he strove to do the best joinery work possible while disregarding progress. He found a sense of calm in the pursuit of quality.
His work with highly figured wood requires time and attention, waiting for months sometimes before the wood speaks to him with inspiration for the next art form he will create. “So in that sense, the wood can talk to you”. Jerry feels that the addition of color to the wood masks its highest potential beauty.
Purchase:
Jerry’s art is not for public sale.
