I received some indirect feedback on a demonstration this morning. It took the form of three appended comments (a usual inclusion against demonstration reviews) after a review of a demonstration I gave a few months ago. There was nothing bad in the review, or the comments for that matter, but then you wouldn’t expect there to be…woodturners are far too polite. What was worrying though, was the prevailing sense that colouring wood is somehow wrong.
I genuinely do understand the “wood is beautiful so don’t mess with it” attitude. And for the right piece of wood that’s fine. But what about all those bland woods? Do they not benefit by having a helping hand? Can an otherwise drab piece of wood not be livened up by the addition of colour, texture, or other after-lathe fettling?
This is one of the problems with the oft-heard cry for more “artistic” woodturning, or for “artistic” woodturning to be pushed forward; I simply don’t believe that there is a large ground-swell of opinion in its favour. If you can’t even convince turners of the validity, or advantage, of adding colour to woodturning, how can you convince them that turnery with a more “artistic” leaning is interesting and worthwhile. And if you can’t convince the turners, well, the public are going to be even harder to convince.
I firmly believe that there will always be a market for traditional turnery…dare I say, conventional, but I equally believe that the market is shrinking, and will continue to do so. In order for woodturning to survive in anything other than a small interest capacity, it must develop to prosper. That doesn’t, and shouldn’t, mean the demise of the conventional turned work, it has its place in the panoply of turning, and long may it continue to do so…but woodturning does need to spread its wings to attract new interest which will serve to sustain its growth and appeal.
I’m beginning to wonder if anything can be done about it, at all. Maybe that’s why those who do produce this kind of work, do so quietly, away from the mainstream of woodturning, and simply get on with it. I know what they know, though…their style of work sells better than the traditional, is more highly regarded by the wider world, and commands a price far closer to one commensurate with earning a living than the conventional could ever attain.
I think it’s time I got off my horse and just “get on with it”. I feel like an arable farmer trying to convince Bernard Mathews to move into barley.
March 24, 2009 at 11:35 pm
Hi Andy,
I’m guessing it IS always good to get feedback, not being in a position to get any, but whether the feedback itself is of any value? I think it probably is, even if only to confirm or contradict a previously held opinion.
You may or may not remember that I was dubious about colouring wood when I started turning, probably because I’d previously only made furniture items and never ‘fettled’ them in any way. I love wooden ‘things’ and generally prefer the material to speak for itself. However, it didn’t take many plain bowls before I began to look at other peoples various embellishments. I’m happy to admit that I’ve become a convert to the options of colour, texture and mixing with other media, e.g. pewter, when I think that the timber lacks interest of it’s own. I’m not really of an artistic ‘bent’ and do struggle with colour but I can see the value of it in other peoples work.
Given the demographic of woodturners (aging and conservative spring to mind) I think it needs the RPT’s of this world to persevere and keep putting new ideas in front of us hobbyists, even if the majority of seeds fall on stoney ground a few will take root. I for one can only sit through so many demo’s of a natural edge bowl, however well executed!
So keep on colouring, texturing, carving, gilding and piercing etc., some will be motivated to give it a try, the others will let it pass them by and both are hopefully happy.
Cheers,
Neil.