Costa Mesa, California
www.fredrosestudio.com
Woodsculpting for over 20 years, Fred Rose works with reclaimed wood found by friends and wood enthusiasts. Employing a variety of carving and turning techniques, Rose often takes shapes found in nature, such as a branch, and incorporates them with the familiar, such as a chair, to create unique and whimsical pieces of art. By doing this, he hopes to invoke a sense of “thoughtfulness” and compel viewers to reevaluate utilitarian objects in everyday life.
Statement from the Artist:
I am fascinated by the oddities of wood, the idea of wood, the folklore of wood, the history of wood things, the practicality and discipline of woodworking.
My way of working allows me to explore the broad field and idea of wood so that I may combine poetics, thoughtfulness, and craft discipline. My work combines different ideas and processes taken from the body of wood history and knowledge into new constructs rather than mastering one technique or style
I mill logs from trees that are being taken down in the urban forests of Long Beach and Costa Mesa, California. I combine found organic forms such as branches with my own man-made carvings, turnings, and furniture/constructions in attempt to connect wood back to the tree and to create new associations.