Guy Michaels
biography |
portfolio | artists listing
b. 1960, Pacifica, California
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
The Lipton Collection
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2006-08 Turned Wood–Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 American Craft Council, Baltimore, MD
1998-04 Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, New York, NY
1997-04 Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
1994-04 American Craft Council, Baltimore, MD
1993-04 American Craft Council, Ft. Mason, San Francisco, CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2002 "Guy Michaels Alabaster Carver", Coastviews Magazine, October
1998 The Lapidary Journal, Vol. 51, No. 11, February; P. 28
1997 "Alabaster Dreams", San Francisco Chronicle, August 6
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Guy Michaels grew up in the coastal community of Pacifica, California. He enjoyed woodworking as a young man, but pursued it only as a hobby. Although he had carved a couple of pieces on the lathe in high school, Guy didn't take up woodturning again until 1989. He was 29. This time, he recognized the emergence of a passion within him, and began sharing his pieces at art festivals in 1990. On a whim to weld his talents on a new medium, he placed a piece of stone on the lathe in the latter part of 1991. When the dust settled, a unique thing of beauty was left, an alabaster turning, so thin that light transcended it, so smooth and colorful, it begged to be caressed. Guy's passion had taken a new turn, and a part-time hobby was becoming a full time preoccupation. With so much demand for his rare and unusual pieces, he quit his day job and took to his workshop on a full-time basis. Now a full-time artist for the past 10 years, continuing to work and live and along California's northern coast.
After mounting pieces of stone weighing up to 250 lbs. onto a lathe, he rotates the pieces at speeds up to 1000 RPM, carving out smooth forms with special carbide tipped tools. Woods from around the world are used to add warmth and depth to each stone piece. Besides enhancing the design with contrasting colors, segmenting the woods stabilizes the pieces to allow the woods natural expansion and contraction without breaking the fragile stone. Many of the segmented designs are inspired from the basketry and beadwork of the American Indians.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
The Lipton Collection
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2006-08 Turned Wood–Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 American Craft Council, Baltimore, MD
1998-04 Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, New York, NY
1997-04 Sculpture, Objects, Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
1994-04 American Craft Council, Baltimore, MD
1993-04 American Craft Council, Ft. Mason, San Francisco, CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2002 "Guy Michaels Alabaster Carver", Coastviews Magazine, October
1998 The Lapidary Journal, Vol. 51, No. 11, February; P. 28
1997 "Alabaster Dreams", San Francisco Chronicle, August 6
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Guy Michaels grew up in the coastal community of Pacifica, California. He enjoyed woodworking as a young man, but pursued it only as a hobby. Although he had carved a couple of pieces on the lathe in high school, Guy didn't take up woodturning again until 1989. He was 29. This time, he recognized the emergence of a passion within him, and began sharing his pieces at art festivals in 1990. On a whim to weld his talents on a new medium, he placed a piece of stone on the lathe in the latter part of 1991. When the dust settled, a unique thing of beauty was left, an alabaster turning, so thin that light transcended it, so smooth and colorful, it begged to be caressed. Guy's passion had taken a new turn, and a part-time hobby was becoming a full time preoccupation. With so much demand for his rare and unusual pieces, he quit his day job and took to his workshop on a full-time basis. Now a full-time artist for the past 10 years, continuing to work and live and along California's northern coast.
After mounting pieces of stone weighing up to 250 lbs. onto a lathe, he rotates the pieces at speeds up to 1000 RPM, carving out smooth forms with special carbide tipped tools. Woods from around the world are used to add warmth and depth to each stone piece. Besides enhancing the design with contrasting colors, segmenting the woods stabilizes the pieces to allow the woods natural expansion and contraction without breaking the fragile stone. Many of the segmented designs are inspired from the basketry and beadwork of the American Indians.