The Sory Behind ‘The Guardian’

guardian

‘The Guardian’ by Frederic Fierstein, 1985, at the foot of the Berkeley Pier.

I’ve always admired the huge concrete sculpture depicting an archer/warrior seated on a mysterious creature at the foot of the Berkeley Pier. A genuine Berkeley landmark, ‘The Guardian’, made by Frederic Fierstein and a small group of collaborators in the mid-eighties, functions as much as a way-finder as a totemic talisman. I’ve been especially drawn to it lately as I prepare to begin contruction of Makkeweks, our giant seamonster sculpture pending final approval for the City of Oakland. Makkeweks will be cast in bronze from a wooden original, so the materials and technology are much diffrent, but I want our sculpture to have a similar presence as an icon in the cityscape.

Researching ‘The Guardian’, I was surprised to discover that the sculpture was made without City approval and was daringly just dropped off by the artist, or ‘donated’, as he would likely prefer. This early example of what came to be known as ‘plop art’ ignited a controversy in Berkeley as to whether the sculpture should remain. A vocal representation of Berkeley residents who loved the radical gesture by Fierstein eventually won out, and the City voted to adopt the piece as a permanent installation.

To read more about the fascinating story behind the ‘The Guardian’ and a recent interview with the artist, click here.

A Most Straightforward Skiff

skiff

This little skiff is a wondeful example of one of my favorite kinds of boat- a flat bottom skiff with a pointy bow and straight sides running back to a full width stern. The bottom is slightly rockered for planing over a chop, and the sharp bow cuts the solid water of a small wave. In lieu of a keel or skeg, a simple ‘shoe’ running the full length under the bottom planking keeps the hull from sliding under power without interfering with landing on a sandy or rocky shore. The extra thick bottom adds the necessary bouyancy and toughness required of a working boat negotiating a range of conditions. Easy to build, repair and maintain, such a flat-bottom skiff is well suited to fishing or crabbing in protected bays, clamming the shallow sloughs, carrying a load or ferrying passengers. A low-powered outboard, like the 15 HP pictured above should push her along at about 8-10 knots without burning too much fuel. Oars are the auxiliary power.

As yet another salmon season kicks off along the Sonoma Coast, I’m seriously considering building such a skiff for fishing and crabbing Bodega Bay.

Orphan Tools

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I’ve so far drawn the line at a scale of operations I call ‘Forklift and a Warehouse’. If it ever seems like I need a forklift and/or a warehouse, I know I made the wrong turn somewhere. My current production capabilities allow me to efficiently make one-offs, prototypes and very small production runs, but not much beyond batches of 4 or 5 of any given thing per week. While I love the creative flexibility inherent in running a small shop, I am beginning to find clients for production versions of my designs, and am poised to scale operations to meet demand and still offer a competetive price point.

Investing in a few new tools will increase my efficiency exponentially, so I’ve subscribed to a handful of online auctions for woodworking tools, and scour daily posts for re-saws, glue spreaders, wide belt sanders and the like. At first, I greedily scrolled through listings, knowing exactly what I was looking for. As the daily emails persisted, I became painfully aware of how many small manufacturers were closing throughout the US, predominantly on the East Coast. I began to see the tools differently, as orphaned tools, tools that had been loved and maintained, tools that had supported livelihoods, helped put kids through college and pay mortgages. Suddenly the images had such poignancy. The images themselves are what appeal to me now, as an incidental archive of a major shift in the culture of (not) making things in the US.

I would love to make an exhibition or publication that simply collates and displays online auction house photos of tools for sale. Meanwhile, I still seek the perfect tool to expand my capabilities, but worry about the fate of so many obsolete or unwanted tools (and skilled workers) in the process.

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Flotsam of the Day

beach tangle

I love a beach tangle, lines yanked and rolled by the surf, twisted colors at the tideline.

Shed Barstools

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The stools look great lined up at Shed’s lovely zinc wine bar (photo: Naomi Mcleod).

I’m very proud of my new barstools for Healdsburg Shed. I designed and made a batch of eight for use at Shed’s wine bar, and they will soon be available for sale as a made-to-order item for Shed, along with my matching Cafe Chair and a version of my Community Table. Both chair designs are made from Oregon white ash, finished with a matte clear coat to maintain the wood’s natural blond glow. I’m considering offering a dining height version of the barstool, and possibly a version in a darker wood, maybe walnut.

To read more about my furniture design for Shed, click here and scroll down.

Highlights of the Season

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Pride of Madeira (Echium candicans)

– Echium is in bloom (see above).

– Road trip to Santa Barbara. Transmodern highlight: Hanging out in a beach house with the Norwegians, cooking Indian food while listening to hill-billy trip hop.

– Meeting film historian Jan Anders Diesen and getting a private lecture and screening of never-before-seen footage from every major polar expedition, including Byrd, Amundsen, Shackleton, etc.

– Delivering my new line of furniture to Healdsburg Shed.

– Wowhaus wins a new public art commission for the City of Cincinnati.

– Visit from my younger brother and his family (pending, arriving today).

– Aili is offered an Academic Honors Scholarship to Occidental College.

– Bodysurfing the point break off of Leadbetter Beach in Santa Barbara.

Of A Wednesday

wednesday

The week hangs from a Wednesday

dangling a loop

of dropped Saturdays

and Sundays

from an inversely

symmetrical chain

of Tuesdays and Thursdays;

The mid-day clasp of a Wednesday

opposites the dark medallion

of Saturday night.