Michael Peterson's "Evolution/Revolution"

Through Feb. 19, free, Wood Turning Center, 501 Vine St., 215-923-8000, woodturningcenter.org.

by Deni Kasrel

	print	email	reply	rss feed

Published: Dec 29, 2010

[ visual art ]

Viewing "Evolution/Revolution," a show by Michael Peterson, is like seeing a mini-encapsulation of innovations in the field of fine-art wood turning in the last two decades. Traditionally, sculptures of this genre clearly looked like they were made with a lathe — think bowls and vases. Gradually, abstract forms were introduced. Peterson, a master woodworker, helped spur the changes through his imaginative investigations on the nature of natural wood. More recently he's dispensed with the lathe entirely. Regardless, his innate sense of the wonderment and spirituality of wood is steadfast. Newer pieces look like mysterious landscapes, or weathered twisted chunks of metal. Whatever the vintage of his work, they're all marvelous testaments to Peterson's understanding of the depth of possibilities in the material at hand.

Through Feb. 19, free, Wood Turning Center, 501 Vine St., 215-923-8000, woodturningcenter.org.

Best in Books
The Three Musketeers (The Later Years)
The Understudy