Patina proudly announces an exhibition of new works by Danish artist, Merete Larsen. Merete's lathe-turned wood vessels are so reduced, so exquisitely turned, that they are rendered translucent. Her work is part of the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Art and Design.

Whispering Tones, the title of the exhibition, refers to the quiet these pieces exude and the soft shades of staining that Larsen applies. It also refers to the artist, who prefers not to discuss herself, or her work, but allows it to speak for her.

Turning involves the extraction of wood from a block. First the outside is shaped and then the inside is removed. What makes Larsen's works so extraordinary is their delicacy. They possess a lightness that belies the mass of the material, an effect heightened by their voluptuous forms, balanced on tiny bases.

Larsen uses freshly cut, green wood for her turnings, usually ash or beech. When it is green, the wood is still wet and yielding. As it dries, rather than a rigid, symmetrically perfect form, the vessel expresses an organic, subtly imperfect character. This contributes to the ephemeral quality so unique to her works.

Few artists skilled in the methods of lathe turning ever master the fineness of Larsen's execution. There is risk in it. After countless hours of work, and the careful removal of material, there is chance that the turning will go too far. The sharp edge of her cutting tool can pierce the paper thin wall and the vessel will be destroyed. Her finished work will measure less than a sixteenth of inch in thickness

Larsen began working with wood through formal training in cabinet making and the restoration of antiques. She understands the material and in these pursuits, forms it to her objectives. But turning is different, especially when turning vessels, because the unique characteristics of each piece of wood will dictate the outcome. There is a collaboration that takes place between the maker and the material. Over nearly twenty years of practice, Larsen has developed an intuition that informs the nuance of that relationship.

Turned wood vessels dating to the fifth century have been found at archeological sites along the North Sea. What began as a utilitarian craft vital to early civilization is today an art form. The technique is little changed but what has changed is the intention brought to the work. Larsen's mastery of this ancient craft reveals the pronounced elegance of wood and the elegance of an artist's mind.

Merete Larsen will attend the opening reception, Thursday, July 8, beginning at 5:00.