William Moore
biography |
portfolio | artists listing
b. 1945, Arlington, Virginia
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
Holladay Park Memorial Hospital, Portland, OR
Lake Oswego Library, Lake Oswego, OR
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Metropolitan Arts Commission, Portland, OR
Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL
Mt. Angel Abbey, Mt. Angel, OR
Oregon Advocates for the Arts Foundation, Eugene, OR
Oregon Arts Commission, Salem, OR
Portland Development Commission, Portland, OR
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia, WA
Washington County, Hillsboro, OR
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2009 Los Angeles Art Show, represented by del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2008-09 Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Collectors of Wood Art Forum, Scottsdale, AZ
Wood Takes Root – New Masters, St. George Art Museum, St. George, UT
The Sphere, AAW Symposium, Richmond, VA; AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, MN
2007-08 Shy Boy, She Devil and Isis: The Art of Conceptual Craft, Selections from the Wornick
Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
2007-08 Far From The Tree, Touring
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Rockport, ME
AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, MN
2002-08 Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Exposition, New York, NY
2007 Turning Green, Touring
Oregon College of Art & Craft, Portland OR
AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, MN
2002-07 Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
2006 Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Turned Wood – Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004-06 Nature Transformed: Wood Art from the Bohlen Collection, Touring
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL
Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY
2005 Collectors of Wood Art Forum, Philadelphia, PA
A Nation of Enchanted Form: Woodturning Artists Across North America, Messler
Gallery at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Rockport, ME
AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, MN
Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
reTURN to the Land of Oz, AAW Symposium, Overland Park, KS; AAW Gallery of Wood
Art, St. Paul, MN
2004 Beneath The Bark: 25 Years of Woodturning, Brigham Young University Museum of Art,
Provo, UT
Celebrating Nature: Craft Traditions/Contemporary Expressions, Craft & Folk Art
Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2003-04 Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2001-04 Turned Wood – Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Collectors of Wood Art Forum, Santa Fe, NM
2002 Collectors Choice, Collectors of Wood Art Forum, SOFA, Chicago, IL
2000 The Fine Art of Wood: the Bohlen Collection, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
Wood Works: Survey of the Last Thirty Years, Contemporary Crafts Gallery,
Portland, OR
1997-98 Expressions In Wood: Masterworks from the Wornick Collection, Touring
Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
International Museum of Art & Science, McAllen, TX
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2008 New Masters of Woodturning: Expanding the Boundaries of Wood Art. Martin, Terry &
Wallace, Kevin. Fox Chapel Publishing, East Petersburg, PA.
2007 Shy Boy, She Devil and Isis: The Art of Conceptual Craft, Selections from The Wornick Collection. Kangas, Matthew; Muniz, Julie & Ward, Gerald. MFA Publications,
Boston, MA.
2004 Nature Transformed: Wood Art from The Bohlen Collection. Ulmer, Sean. Hudson Hills
Press, Manchester, VT.
500 Wood Bowls: Bold & Original Designs Blending Tradition & Innovation. Leier, Ray;
Peters, Jan & Wallace, Kevin. Lark Books, Sterling Publications, New York, NY.
Celebrating Nature: Craft Traditions/Contemporary Expressions. Wallace, Kevin. Craft &
Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
Beneath The Bark: Twenty-Five Years of Woodturning. Christensen, Kip & Nish, Dale.
Utah Woodturning Symposium, Inc, Provo, UT.
2000 Contemporary Turned Wood. Leier, Peters and Wallace. Guild Publishing, Madison, WI.
The Fine Art of Wood: The Bohlen Collection. Fike, Bonita. Abbeville Press,
New York, NY.
1999 Contemporary Turned Wood: New Perspectives in a Rich Tradition. Leier, Ray; Peters,
Jan & Wallace, Kevin. Hand Books Press, Madison, WI.
1996 Expressions In Wood: Masterworks from The Wornick Collection. Cooke, Edward;
Kangas, Matthew & Perreault, John. Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Both of my parents were hobbyist woodworkers. I grew up with a rather complete wood shop in the basement. My mother taught me to turn on her lathe when I was a teenager. Wood just seemed the natural material to make things from. I like the wide variety of woods, their colors and textures. Wood seems the most workable of materials, far more malleable than steel or stone, yet not as mushy as clay. I enjoy the tools and processes used to transform wood from its raw state into my sculptures. Non-ferrous metals, and particularly copper and its alloys, such as bronze, have always appealed to me, partly for their workability and also for the wide color range they can present through patinas. I find that wood, copper and bronze are complementary to each other, and at the same time are capable of creating rich contrasts, emphasizing the qualities of each.
A characteristic of my work for the last twenty years has been the combination of spun metal with wood elements. My interest in combining different media had its beginnings in the late 1960s when I was working on an MFA in sculpture. I created a number of pieces one might describe as mixed media—fiberglass and wood, cast bronze, wood and plastic, etc. In these sculptures, the different materials added emphasis to the constructed nature of the work. When I moved to Oregon in the 1970s, I focused exclusively on wood in my work. My sculptures from this period were constructed entirely of the same wood in each piece. At some point in the late 70s and early 80s I began using wood as a color, mixing a variety of woods in a single sculpture. It was about the same time I started to use lathe-turned elements in my compositions.
During the mid 80s, I returned to my interest in mixed media with experiments using ceramics and wood, fibers and wood, and leather and wood. While I found these pieces interesting and enjoyed the contrasts between the elements, none of these other materials held the same interest for me as the wood. In 1988, while on a sabbatical year from my teaching, a number of things came together that led to my exploration of metal and wood. One was the purchase of a new (to me) lathe that had been used by a previous owner for metal spinning. Second was seeing Lynn Hull’s spun metal pieces in the International Turned Objects Show and, after viewing the rest of the show, wondering why no one had considered combining spun metal with turned wood. On my return home, I began experimenting with the combination and found that the symmetry of turned wood and spun metal naturally fit together to create a rich relationship far more satisfying than my earlier attempts at mixed media.
Starting two years ago, I decided to push my work into a stronger sculptural context. I would stop making vessels, but continue to investigate the truncated cone form- with a difference. By cutting through the bottom of these forms, I create a funnel- like character, which moves the eye through the space inside and out the opposite end. Balance, gesture and a sense of movement are qualities I wanted to explore with my work, because I believe they impart a sense of energy and vitality to the compositions.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
Holladay Park Memorial Hospital, Portland, OR
Lake Oswego Library, Lake Oswego, OR
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
Metropolitan Arts Commission, Portland, OR
Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL
Mt. Angel Abbey, Mt. Angel, OR
Oregon Advocates for the Arts Foundation, Eugene, OR
Oregon Arts Commission, Salem, OR
Portland Development Commission, Portland, OR
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
Washington State Arts Commission, Olympia, WA
Washington County, Hillsboro, OR
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2009 Los Angeles Art Show, represented by del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2008-09 Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Collectors of Wood Art Forum, Scottsdale, AZ
Wood Takes Root – New Masters, St. George Art Museum, St. George, UT
The Sphere, AAW Symposium, Richmond, VA; AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, MN
2007-08 Shy Boy, She Devil and Isis: The Art of Conceptual Craft, Selections from the Wornick
Collection, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
2007-08 Far From The Tree, Touring
Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Rockport, ME
AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, MN
2002-08 Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Exposition, New York, NY
2007 Turning Green, Touring
Oregon College of Art & Craft, Portland OR
AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, MN
2002-07 Sculpture Objects & Functional Art Exposition, Chicago, IL
2006 Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Turned Wood – Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004-06 Nature Transformed: Wood Art from the Bohlen Collection, Touring
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI
Mobile Museum of Art, Mobile, AL
Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY
2005 Collectors of Wood Art Forum, Philadelphia, PA
A Nation of Enchanted Form: Woodturning Artists Across North America, Messler
Gallery at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship, Rockport, ME
AAW Gallery of Wood Art, St. Paul, MN
Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
reTURN to the Land of Oz, AAW Symposium, Overland Park, KS; AAW Gallery of Wood
Art, St. Paul, MN
2004 Beneath The Bark: 25 Years of Woodturning, Brigham Young University Museum of Art,
Provo, UT
Celebrating Nature: Craft Traditions/Contemporary Expressions, Craft & Folk Art
Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2003-04 Selected Works, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2001-04 Turned Wood – Small Treasures, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
Turned & Sculptured Wood, del Mano Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2003 Collectors of Wood Art Forum, Santa Fe, NM
2002 Collectors Choice, Collectors of Wood Art Forum, SOFA, Chicago, IL
2000 The Fine Art of Wood: the Bohlen Collection, Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, MI
Wood Works: Survey of the Last Thirty Years, Contemporary Crafts Gallery,
Portland, OR
1997-98 Expressions In Wood: Masterworks from the Wornick Collection, Touring
Museum of Arts & Design, New York, NY
Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA
International Museum of Art & Science, McAllen, TX
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2008 New Masters of Woodturning: Expanding the Boundaries of Wood Art. Martin, Terry &
Wallace, Kevin. Fox Chapel Publishing, East Petersburg, PA.
2007 Shy Boy, She Devil and Isis: The Art of Conceptual Craft, Selections from The Wornick Collection. Kangas, Matthew; Muniz, Julie & Ward, Gerald. MFA Publications,
Boston, MA.
2004 Nature Transformed: Wood Art from The Bohlen Collection. Ulmer, Sean. Hudson Hills
Press, Manchester, VT.
500 Wood Bowls: Bold & Original Designs Blending Tradition & Innovation. Leier, Ray;
Peters, Jan & Wallace, Kevin. Lark Books, Sterling Publications, New York, NY.
Celebrating Nature: Craft Traditions/Contemporary Expressions. Wallace, Kevin. Craft &
Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles, CA.
Beneath The Bark: Twenty-Five Years of Woodturning. Christensen, Kip & Nish, Dale.
Utah Woodturning Symposium, Inc, Provo, UT.
2000 Contemporary Turned Wood. Leier, Peters and Wallace. Guild Publishing, Madison, WI.
The Fine Art of Wood: The Bohlen Collection. Fike, Bonita. Abbeville Press,
New York, NY.
1999 Contemporary Turned Wood: New Perspectives in a Rich Tradition. Leier, Ray; Peters,
Jan & Wallace, Kevin. Hand Books Press, Madison, WI.
1996 Expressions In Wood: Masterworks from The Wornick Collection. Cooke, Edward;
Kangas, Matthew & Perreault, John. Oakland Museum of California, Oakland, CA.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Both of my parents were hobbyist woodworkers. I grew up with a rather complete wood shop in the basement. My mother taught me to turn on her lathe when I was a teenager. Wood just seemed the natural material to make things from. I like the wide variety of woods, their colors and textures. Wood seems the most workable of materials, far more malleable than steel or stone, yet not as mushy as clay. I enjoy the tools and processes used to transform wood from its raw state into my sculptures. Non-ferrous metals, and particularly copper and its alloys, such as bronze, have always appealed to me, partly for their workability and also for the wide color range they can present through patinas. I find that wood, copper and bronze are complementary to each other, and at the same time are capable of creating rich contrasts, emphasizing the qualities of each.
A characteristic of my work for the last twenty years has been the combination of spun metal with wood elements. My interest in combining different media had its beginnings in the late 1960s when I was working on an MFA in sculpture. I created a number of pieces one might describe as mixed media—fiberglass and wood, cast bronze, wood and plastic, etc. In these sculptures, the different materials added emphasis to the constructed nature of the work. When I moved to Oregon in the 1970s, I focused exclusively on wood in my work. My sculptures from this period were constructed entirely of the same wood in each piece. At some point in the late 70s and early 80s I began using wood as a color, mixing a variety of woods in a single sculpture. It was about the same time I started to use lathe-turned elements in my compositions.
During the mid 80s, I returned to my interest in mixed media with experiments using ceramics and wood, fibers and wood, and leather and wood. While I found these pieces interesting and enjoyed the contrasts between the elements, none of these other materials held the same interest for me as the wood. In 1988, while on a sabbatical year from my teaching, a number of things came together that led to my exploration of metal and wood. One was the purchase of a new (to me) lathe that had been used by a previous owner for metal spinning. Second was seeing Lynn Hull’s spun metal pieces in the International Turned Objects Show and, after viewing the rest of the show, wondering why no one had considered combining spun metal with turned wood. On my return home, I began experimenting with the combination and found that the symmetry of turned wood and spun metal naturally fit together to create a rich relationship far more satisfying than my earlier attempts at mixed media.
Starting two years ago, I decided to push my work into a stronger sculptural context. I would stop making vessels, but continue to investigate the truncated cone form- with a difference. By cutting through the bottom of these forms, I create a funnel- like character, which moves the eye through the space inside and out the opposite end. Balance, gesture and a sense of movement are qualities I wanted to explore with my work, because I believe they impart a sense of energy and vitality to the compositions.