TimberLand

The Wood Turning Center splinters off from tradition — including its own.

by Deni Kasrel

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Published: Oct 7, 2009

[ visual art ]

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You might think the Wood Turning Center's current exhibit is a two-person show, but don't be fooled.

"It's [just] from two different periods," says WTC executive director Albert LeCoff of the work of Steve Madsen, a noted artist in the contemporary American craft scene who gained early fame by constructing intricately inlaid boxes with beautiful natural woods.

But more recently, Madsen has taken to making playful pieces painted in vibrant colors.

"He represents, in a good way, the artist who's gone from exploiting the inherent characteristics of [wood] to its fullest, to one where there's no grain pattern at all," LeCoff says.

The full scope of the show exemplifies an approach to art in which the goal is to continually seek new possibilities. The same may be said of the Center itself.

Wood turning is a process where wooden pieces are shaped by using a lathe. To the general public it is best identified with bowls and balustrades: utilitarian mass-produced objects.

Years ago, LeCoff wound up working with a wood turner who had a special flair. "I saw the art of the craft," he recalls. From then on, he was determined to dedicate himself to the art form.

LeCoff launched the WTC in 1986 from his house. He developed traveling shows that were presented at various institutions. One particular series, the Challenge exhibitions, really took off. The premise of the series was to ask artists to make art for art's sake. "The first one was in 1987, when I really felt that artists were making work that they knew would sell. It was getting boring," LeCoff says. "So I asked them, for this show, make something irregardless of the marketplace. It took them in new directions and was a big hit."

The WTC continues to organize Challenge exhibitions — only now they're hosted at LeCoff's Old City gallery space, which also features a museum, research library and museum shop. Tucked away on Fifth and Vine, it's a hidden gem.

Aside from being one of only two major venues that actively promote wood and wood turning, the WTC's museum is a treasure trove of items by nearly every major contemporary wood turner. A portion of that stash now goes on rotating display (in the same area as the research library); the rest is available for private viewing. "Artists and students come to be inspired. They want to see what's been done. And collectors like to see the history of the field," says LeCoff.

That history would not be the same without LeCoff, who in 2003 won a Collectors of Wood Art Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Albert is one of the most highly regarded people in the field," declares Richard Goldberg, the WTC's incoming president. "He's incredibly knowledgeable and has a keen eye for new and emerging artists — for what's good and what's going to be big in the future."

Over the years, LeCoff's interest, and consequently the WTC's, has developed well beyond wood worked by a lathe. Now, anything made with a lathe is fair game for exhibition here — and even that criterion is not necessarily a given.

"What has happened is that a lot of the wood-turning artists have started using processes other than the lathe. And some people have dropped it altogether. But we feel we should still support these artists," says LeCoff. "What they've said is that what they learned in turning applies to what they do in another process. The lathe is a great way to learn about form, and that stays with you no matter what you end up doing."

Bringing in artists like Madsen, who have an expert facility to work with wood in different and distinct ways, helps demonstrate the Center's desire to showcase how aesthetics are expanding in the field of woodworking. This desire to push the envelope is not lost on avid wood art fans, who are affectionately known as "woodies."

"We get people who've been coming for a long time who will say, 'You know, Albert, you're always out there,'" LeCoff says. "And I always wanted to be. Otherwise you're stagnant. It's how you get people to grow, whether you're an artist or a collector."

(deni.kasrel@citypaper.net)

"Steve Madsen: A World of Wood," opening reception and talk by the artist, Fri., Oct. 9, 5-7:30 p.m., free; exhibit through Dec. 19, free; Wood Turning Center, 501 Vine St., 215-923-8000, www.woodturningcenter.org.

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