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Kevin Bassett
Wood Sculptor
Artist's Statement:
As a professional Arborist for over thirty years I have helped numerous clients
protect and maintain their valued trees. Having worked intimately with trees and
wood I have gained and insight their inner and outer beauty. Once I began
turning wood on the lathe I realized that expressing of the beauty of the tree
through its wood was collaboration between the tree and myself. Exclusively the
tree provides wood color, figure and density, while I try to find a shape and
form that best suits that particular piece of the tree. I do a lot of my
work beginning with green wood therefore shape; color and texture may change
dramatically as the wood seeks equilibrium with its environment. I have become
aware of these changes even as the wood is being turned and the object inside
discovered. Most of my artwork is produced from wood that I select and collect
from my client’s trees, thus recycling a portion of the tree that will continue
to Live as Art. Trees add a new growth ring every year that they live, therefore
the history of the tree is revealed as successive layers are removed. I never
know what the inside of the wood will tell but I always enjoy the story. Tales
of good times and bad, great forward leaps and tragic set backs are common in
many trees and hopefully these are revealed through my works. The viewer is
invited to consider the endless natural cycles revealed in turned wood art.
Kevin is a Certified Arborist with a Bachelor of Science
degree in Plant Pathology from Colorado State University. He has had no formal
training in Art and is self - taught as a wood turner; Kevin is a member of the
Dallas Area Wood Turners and the American Association of Wood Turners. Kevin
makes his home with his wife Sandra in Richardson, Texas. His works are included
in several private collections.
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