Jack Fifield

McKee, Kentucky

Improbable Gate; wood; 8 x 12 x 12;, 2003

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Working with wood as a sculptural medium presents seemingly endless fascinating possibilities. Recently, while researching a collaborative piece with my wife, Linda, I came across a computer image in a book about the universe. It depicted the structure of matter in the known universe, which was described as "cellular". Indeed, it looked like a microscopic image of living cell growth. It also looked remarkably like wood burl. "As it is above, so it is below." In my most current creative efforts I use the wood lathe as a primary sculptural tool. These days, however, I am spending more time off lathe than on as I play with carving, texturing, sandblasting and bending to achieve my conceptual goals. I employ joinery of contrasting woods in many of my pieces.

Of course, every visual artist works in a sort of dialogue with their chosen medium. Wood does tend to have a "mind" of its own. And, being of the Rude Osolnik school, my work has always been very much about the wood.

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