Soft patterns illuminate bold volumes in Oliver Chalk’s sophisticated wooden vases — Colossal



Art Crafts Design

#carving #Oliver Chalk #sculpture #stone sculpture #wood

Cut from solid pieces of found timber, Oliver Gessothe ships (previously) embrace the natural grains and nuances of different types of wood to reveal voluminous functional sculptures. Using the remains of fallen trees such as ash, cypress, maple and cherry trees, Chalk hand carves bold lines and ribs that resemble the contours of topo maps. He takes his cues from the distinctive characteristics of each piece of wood, responding to the specimen’s unique texture, hardness, tonality and innate patterns. Maple burl, for example, which is a growth in the tree’s bark that creates dense, swirling, eye-like patterns, resulted in an elegant piece dotted with tiny holes and knots.

Chalk’s work is included in the group show Earth materials TO Gallery 57 in Arundel, West Sussex, until 10 June e Spring ’23 collection TO The Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden in Ockley, Surrey. Find out more about his website and go Instagram.

Detail of a vase from the ‘Earth Materials’ series

‘Earth Materials’ Collection

Warped maple briar vase

Charred surface on cypress

Cypress vase in progress

Left: sycamore vase. Right: Detail of the textured ash vase

“One” and “Two” vases in the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden Spring/Summer 2023 collection

Cherry vase

Ash pot

Detail of the “One” vase in the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden Spring/Summer 2023 collection

Roughing a large cypress pot

#carving #Oliver Chalk #sculpture #stone sculpture #wood

Are stories and artists like this important to you? Become a Colossal member today and support independent art publishing for just $5 a month. You’ll connect with a community of like-minded readers and contemporary art enthusiasts, read ad-free articles and newsletters, support our interview series, get discounts and early access to our limited edition print publications, and much more. Sign up now!