ABOUT THE ARTIST

Michael Shuler recalls that, as a boy, he was fascinated by the legs of his parents’ furniture. These were rounded, spindle type legs and he wondered how they were made. After much thought, he realized that the process involved turning of some kind. This led to numerous experiments, and finally, the construction of a lathe. In wood shop the following year, Michael saw a commercial lathe for the first time and recognized it   as the same machine he had invented.

His ideas evolved far faster than his skills. He imagined pieces of great complexity but found that no methods existed for their creation. Once again, he set out to develop his own equipment and techniques. Many failed experiments and many years later, he had success. This work falls into two groups that he has named the “segmented” series and the “organica” series.

In a 1989 article written for Fine Woodworking, Michael outlined the painstaking technique he innovated. Since that time his work has appeared in national and international publications and in numerous prominent exhibitions. His pieces are included in the prestigious collections of The American Craft Museum in New York and the White House, among others.

ABOUT THE WORK

Michael’s work is unique in its intricacy and refinement. Whether it’s the pinecones and blossoms of his ”organica” series or the exquisite vessels of his segmented series, Michael’s work is a study of pattern and form.

To create his “organica” pieces he begins with an object, such as a flower, artichoke or pinecone. It is picked green, kiln dried, injected with resin and turned. It is a reductive process. The final object, contained within the original, is “discovered by the turner.”

A “segmented” piece is fabricated from thousands of pieces of wood. Each is cut by hand to specific dimensions and shape, ranging from the minute to merely small. These pieces are joined to form rings of graduated sizes. The rings are stacked, glued and turned to a thinness permitting translucence. By controlling the arrangement of the wood’s color and grain, he creates patterns of enormous complexity.

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

The White House Craft Collection, Washington, DC
The American Craft Museum, New York, NY
Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA 
The Mint Museum of Craft and Design, Charlotte, NC
Fine Arts Museum of the South, Mobile, AL
The Wood Turning Center, Philadelphia, PA

EXHIBITIONS

2003   “One Step Back, Two Steps Forward,” Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM