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ARTIST STATEMENT
I am an artist and designer who has been building wood furniture in the Memphis area since 1992. I expanded my furniture production facility in 2000 by purchasing and renovating a warehouse at 413 Monroe Avenue, just east of the Redbirds Stadium in the growing Edge Neighborhood. The warehouse was painted and modernized consistent with current downtown development as a unique tribute to the style of the building and the neighborhood.
A native Memphian and Memphis University School alumnus, I studied architecture at Tulane University. This architectural background finds itself in my work, in which I elevate function to the same level as form. Each piece is harmonized with the interior design and function of the room in which it will reside. I favor strong, clean lines to emphasize the form and function of a piece. If I had to describe my work using a particular classical or traditional paradigm, I would have to say that my designs are generally influenced by Art Deco and the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. However, the tastes and needs of my clients also determine the final look of a piece. I have worked closely with architects, designers, institutions and individuals in creating pieces for which I have received commissions.
A friend once described me as a wood fetishist, and while I laughed at his use of the term, I was unable to refute the truth of this statement. I tend to underscore the grain in each of the varying woods I use instead of drowning the woods in heavy stains. I work most frequently with hardwoods like mahogany, walnut, and maple. I use traditional, all solid wood joinery, and in this, my work is a throwback to an earlier time when furniture lasted and pieces could be handed down through generations. I strive to create a fusion of nature, human spirit, and machine that results in the birth of an exquisite piece of furniture that is as organic as it is unique.
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