• 29 Jun

    Woodworkers I Admire: Martin Puryear

    Woodworkers I Admire: Martin Puryear

    Although it is unlikely that he would often be described as a fine woodworker, I believe Martin Puryear would be flattered to be described that way. That is not why he is famous. He is is recognized the world over for his stunning and obviously much regarded sculpture. But it is his uncommon attention to such high woodworking practices that make his work, to me, so extraordinary.

    I became aware of his work when I received a call 40 years ago from a doctor here in Seattle. She had an office for which she desired a few pieces of furniture. This was Puryear’s sister, Regina, one of my first and favorite clients ever. She clearly had a sense of doing things in a special way. She mentioned that she had to, as she had an extremely talented sculptor/woodworker brother.

    I have been following his work ever since. When you see it, and I hope you will, you will see a rugged yet very elegant vision. And if Mr. Puryear wouldn’t mind, I would like to describe his work, as a very rare and special marriage of a masterful understanding of his material, AND a genius vision of his art.

    By Jonathan Cohen Woodworkers
  • 27 Jun

    Woodworkers I Admire: Judy Kensley McKie

    Woodworkers I Admire: Judy Kensley McKie

    One of the woodworkers I have always admired  most is a woman working back east, in the Boston area I believe. Her name is Judy Kensley McKie and she was one of the first women to make a name for herself as a furnituremaker. And she has been working for more than 40 years and is rich in experience, but most of all, she takes a bit of a different and wonderfully inventive approach to her work.

    I have never had the pleasure of meeting Judy, but she and I both appeared more than a few times in the early days of Fine Woodworking Magazine. And while I immediately fell under the spell of her work, I also enjoyed her explanation of it. She mentioned not being obsessed with every single aspect of the techniques that went into the making of her pieces. Don’t misunderstand me. Judy is a very talented woodworker. But as I read it she didn’t want to fall into the trap of cutting dovetails for the sake of cutting dovetails. She has her attention on a higher prize. Her woodworking is merely the foundation for what she seeks, and in my opinion seeks marvelously well.

    Be sure to check out her work. It is hypnotic, it is serene, it is sometimes otherworldly, and it is never a slavish knockoff of some other woodworker who has come before her.

     

     

    By Jonathan Cohen Woodworkers