Wood in Progress by Ernst Gamperl

Ernst Gamperl is a bit of a legend in the craft circles, I’m surprised we haven’t talked about him before because his wooden forms are spectacular to say the least. It seems like a good time to visit his works and showcase some exciting shapes that might get you all inspired, it certainly had me intrigued. I personally felt bringing over photos of his work in a singular fashion could of been one dimensional, so I put together a selection from a dedicated section on his website titled ‘Wood in progress’.

This area is mainly dedicated to photos from exhibitions that he’s taken part in, so they’re not necessarily a series as such but they do all showcase his work in a unique setting. I have to admit I’m not generally a fan of galleries with everyone gawping at functional works, scared to touch the items. But I think his more sculptural objects suit the different situations and go nicely with the interiors, most notably the bottom photograph which was taken at the Miyake Design Studio designed by famous architect Shigeru Ban, also the picture below taken at German sculptor and architect Hermann Rosa’s house (which is beautiful by the way).

Ernst’s background is in carpentry where he turned to the lathe by chance, starting out with no previous knowledge of the art and working his way up. Over the past 20 years he has studied the drying properties of wood and their impact on the sculptures that he creates. Originally he used more exotic woods and would turn “rough forms” out of freshly-cut wood that took a long time to dry, now he uses wet wood exclusively. I would say his work is generally minimalistic, using the natural shape of the tree to create quite intriguing forms that all have a contemporary type feel. I’m sure you’ll make your own assumptions on his work, I would recommend skipping over to the Hedge Gallery website quickly for a selection of individual work that’s been photographed professionally. Otherwise, enjoy the imagery above and below and you’ll find more on Ernst Gamperl’s portfolio.

www.ernst-gamperl.de

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