Here are some pictures that were taken during the process of building this hanging cupboard.This was my first project really incorporating hand tools.
My inspiration for this piece was a Richard Wright catalog that featured work by George Nakashima, Philip Lloyd Powell, Paul Evans, and Wendel Castle. These are some of my absolute favorite designers. Their work just emanates this vibe that is un-describable. I recently got the chance to see some of George Nakashima's own work (by his hand) at the chicago museum of art. Now, I've seen a ton of his production work in galleries and stores etc. But I had never seen anything really of his hand. So anyway, I see one of the original conoid chairs that was made by his hand. This piece almost brought me to tears in the museum. It was like I was experiencing a moving classical music concert performed by a killer orchestra, you know where you get all emotional in your gut. Anyway, so I see this chair and get all emotional, it was crazy. I can't really explain if you have never gotten this feeling before, but if you have you certainly know what I am talking about.
So when I got home to the shop needless to say I was pumped to get to work. This piece was finished right after seeing this Nakashima chair (and hand tools boot camp with Kelly Mehler) so you can see where my influence is coming from.
The top of this piece came together in this ah ha moment when I stacked the off-cuts that I didn't have the heart to trash on top of the rough carcass. In Nakashima's biography he talks about returning from India, from a pilgrimage of sorts. George makes a conscious effort upon arrival back to the states to let nature guide his path. His natural edge furniture was born somewhat from his pilgrimage to India. If I had never read that I probably would not have had it in my mind to let a natural form like the one that appears in this cupboard into a piece of work. So thanks George for the inspiration....
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