Pat Kramer
Artist's Statement
And
Biography
Woodturning is an intrinsically pure form of woodworking for me. It has an organic nature and is my chosen means to convey my love for wood. It expresses my sensibilities and is often a way for me to convey my sense of an alternate reality.
While often open ended and sometimes hard to define, woodturning is a natural platform to incorporate perspectives from multiple disciplines into my work; it has come after a long look at the attitudes and techniques that other mediums have to offer. It is what I am drawn to, and is my resolution of the apparent contradiction of art and technique residing in the same house.
The process, born of a timeless heritage, embodies the essence of creation and is continuously evolving. The dialogue between maker and wood creates a context for form, mood, color, and texture. The resulting collaboration traverses moments of intense focus and I am constantly aware that the outcome is my responsibility.
I think the transition from chain saw and log, to finished piece, is reflective of a close relationship that develops while working on pieces. Working with a material in such a raw form is a commitment, and there is a sense of intimacy and history with any piece I am working on. While visual and tactile possibilities abound within wood, the evolution of any work will eventually be dictated by mutual consent between the inspiration inspired by the medium and the technique applied. A respect for the material and what it has to offer seems to go a long way toward keeping this collaboration the dance that it should be.
I think this is one of the closest relationships between maker and material in woodworking, providing lots of opportunity to exercise the senses. And… there is always Zen and the joy of sweet shavings.
Patrick Kramer is a wood turner and sculptor. The sculptural possibilities of woodturning with contemporary organic forms have been his present focus.
His work includes sculptures, bowls, boxes and hollow vessels. Pieces are exhibited in a number of galleries and range from traditional Hawaiian forms to contemporary studio work. He has a background in pottery, boat building, furniture making, constructed boxes, and engineering. Pat has worked with wood since 1958. He returned to a woodturning in 1986 after deciding that it offered new freedom in shape and form and was not bound by the disciplines of fabrication techniques.
Selected Exhibitions
Hawai'i Woodshow – 1997, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Hawai'i Craftsmen – 2004, 2005, 2006
Opening Show: the balcony gallery – 2005
Hawai'i Craftsmen – 2007 Invited Artist
American Association of Woodturners Instant Gallery – 2005, 2006, 2007
Couples Show: the balcony gallery – 2006
Utah Woodturning Symposium Gallery – 2006
Honolulu Woodturners’ Annual Show (Nohea Gallery) – 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Utah Woodturning Symposium Gallery – 2006
Japanese Bowls, a Western Perspective, An Invitational Exhibit of the
American Association of Woodturners -- July 2007
Collaboration, Bowral, Australia, October 9 – 12, 2007
“The Sphere,” special Professional Outreach Program Exhibit and Auction at the American Association of Woodturners Symposium, June 20 - 22, Richmond Virginia 2008
Rounding the Four Corners, American Assocation of Woodturners, May 8 – August 9, 2008
Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Ojai, California, Alternate Realities: New Work by Sharon Doughtie and Pat Kramer
Hawai`i State Art Museum, Accession, Recent Acquisitions from the Art in Public Places Collection, September 2008
Awards
Hawai'i Woodshow -- 1997 First Place in Woodturning
Hawai'i Woodshow -- 2004 Best of Show
Hawai'i Craftsmen -- 2004 Award of Excellence
Hawai'i Woodshow -- 2005 First Place in Woodturning
Hawai'i Woodshow -- 2007 First Place in Woodturning
Selected Publications
Woodworker West Magazine January-February 1998 p 18
Woodturning Magazine vol. 156 Front Cover
Woodturning Magazine vol. 156, article “Love Story” by Kevin V. Wallace, pp.7-10
Woodworker West Magazine November-December 2005 pp. 24, 25
Woodwork Magazine February 2007, p. 51
Woodturning Magazine vol. 167, p. 55
American Woodturner Spring 2007, vol. 22, No. 1, Back Cover
Craft Arts International, Vol. 71, article “The Nodes of Discovery” by Kevin V. Wallace,
pp. 27-31
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