Final Touches

*New classes will be listed early this week, with enrollment beginning on Dec 28th.*

So, the bench I made with Aspen is in it’s new home and getting used. We weren’t able to reveal the destination until it made it through the Aquisitions Committee, but having cleared that hurdle, I can now say that it’s been entered into the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. I’m very excited to have it living and working there. The Museum has a long running collection called “Please Be Seated” that puts chairs from the collection all around the museum to be used and enjoyed by patrons. Perhaps you remember last year when I highlighted a favorite bench that I visit every time I go to the museum. It lives near the side entrance, though they said it will occasionally move around the museum. I hope it does because the view of the back is one of the most interesting ways to see the bench. During the build, we spent lots of time considering the hard use it would experience in the busy environment.

Seeing it rolled in revealed some interesting viewpoints.

Choices about the seat material and finish were very much directed by the destination. We chose the hard maple to stand up to constant use and the layering of the paint is intended to add interest to the piece as it wears.

Installing blocks to keep it from moving around in use.

After setting the bench in place, we stepped away for a minute to grab some coffee and, sure enough, before we got back to take a few photos of it in place, folks were already using it in a non conspicuous manner. And so it’s working life began.

Before we dropped it off, we epoxied some small leather pads to the feet. Aspen didn’t know how I made those, so I figured maybe you didn’t either. It’s simple, I have a small pipe that I ground to a sharp edge on one end and I pound it through the leather.

Pounding into end grain works best

Here is the sharp end.

And as you can see, this little tool has seen lots of action over the years.

Years ago, I remember Dave Sawyer telling me about having a couple of pieces in the MFA collection. He said the security guards sitting in his chairs had wreaked havoc on the seats with their keys dangling from their hip. He took it as a compliment to the chair’s comfort. The museum contacted him and asked if he wished to address the damage and in true Dave form he replied “nope”.

I couldn’t imagine back then that I’d ever have work in that collection, but knowing it even existed as a possibility certainly put a thought rattling in my head.

This last summer, the a bunch of folks from the museum came to visit my workshop, see the progress on the bench and learn a bit more about the process. We had a lovely time and I’ve since learned the visit had a pleasant unexpected result.

I discovered this when Daisy Alejandre, the Curatorial Assistant for Contemporary Art at the museum told me that Dave’s chairs had been “retired” from public use. I immediately perked up as this. She went on to say that the museum had thought the parts so thin as to be fragile and not suitable to continuing in public service. Before I could chime in in defense of their strength, Daisy added, “but after seeing how strong and flexible the parts can be while visiting my shop, they reconsidered and reinstated Dave’s chairs back to usable status.

I guess that’s what they mean by “full circle”, Dave showed me how to use the material for it’s strength and flexibility and 25 years later it came back around to return his chairs to service, where they belong.

Thanks again for your support here, it’s making a big difference in my life. This next year is going to be an exciting one, lots of action in the shop that I look forward to sharing. I hope you get a break this holiday season to spend time with your family, and maybe even find some time steal away to the shop to take a few therapeutic shavings.