Oliver Chalk Meticulously Turns Found Pieces of Timber into Bold and Voluminous Vessels

All images © Oliver Chalk, shared with permission

From maple burl, cherry, and ash, Oliver Chalk’s voluminous vessels highlight natural textures while emphasizing alluring patterns and geometry. The Kent-based artist (previously) finds chunks of timber in the countryside around his home, homing in on pieces of trees that have partly decayed, been cut by arborists, or were felled by storms.

Simultaneously delicate and sturdy, each piece highlights both its material and the artist’s meticulous technique. Striations, facets, pits, and ridges define Chalk’s spherical forms, framing elegant openings. And so-called flaws, like holes or knots, emerge as focal points in the hand-chiseled, lathe-turned vessels, providing unique character.

In 2023, Chalk received a scholarship from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust to support research and production of bronze sculptures based on his wooden pieces. Translating the porous, malleable material into solid bronze, the artist focused on the characteristics of the surface through the patination process. He buried five of the six cast pieces for periods of 100, 150, or 200 days, allowing natural compounds to work away at the metal and produce distinctive markings.

The bronze works will be on view alongside a selection of new wood vessels in the exhibition Time Spent at Gallery 57, which will run October 12 to November 2. The show also includes paintings by London-based artist Alexandra Yan Wong. Explore more of Chalk’s work on his website and Instagram.

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