MADE TO ORDER in WEST OAKLAND
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robert.saltonstall@gmail.com
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The Lathe suspends a block of wood between two centers and spins said wood. As it's spinning, or Turning, you take a cutting tool to it, carving away material, creating a perfectly symmetrical form of curves.
The Lathe feels like drawing rather than woodworking, there is a direct contact with the material. Rather than setting up a machine then proceeding to push the wood through, it's the hand that dictates the cut. This process gets much closer to the drawn line.
My first Turning was repairing an antique chair. One of its legs was broken and needed replacing. A very simple, tapered leg. The Lathe surprised me and inspired me to play! A new language of woodworking was opened to me!
I was always compelled to draw and paint the figure. Leading me to study Fine Art at Pratt Institute and later Virginia Commonwealth University. After school I became more interested in house building, and worked all over the States renovating and building custom homes, cabinets and built-ins.
Now my passion for the figure is showing back up again. In the curves created by the lathe, I see the human form; distinct personalities, emerging from the various proportions, forms, colors, and textures.
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