Thomas Jefferson's Monticello tulip polar off the southwest corner of his home died in 2008 and was removed in June of that same year. J. Paul Fennell recalls that the wood for the present lot (taken from said poplar) was given to him by William Jewell, founder of Historical Woods of America (HWA), who requested that Fennell make something to reflect its historical importance. Fennell created the present lot, which was subsequently sold via Jewell's company, Historical Woods of America Inc.
The artist wrote the following statement to accompany this unique and important work:
Working with wood from the tree believed to have been planted by Thomas Jefferson himself was a challenge aesthetically for appropriately honoring its historical significance. For this piece, I chose to focus on and honor Jefferson's creative and intellectual genius, the effects of which I'm sure this tree had “witnessed” many times in its young life when Jefferson resided at Monticello. Jefferson's genius was eloquently understated by President John F. Kennedy in 1962 at a White House dinner honoring 49 Nobel Laureates, when he said, “I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered together at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.” The star design element in the piece represents an important symbol of early America, familiar to everyone. It is also used to suggest one of Jefferson's scientific interests—astronomy. As such, the star has made the connection for me with respect to Jefferson's immense contribution to the founding of our country, and my admiration of his scientific genius. The design of the stars and raised “stripes” emphasize movement: first, as you would typically see in a flag's constantly changing shape in the wind, and second, astronomically (one of Jefferson's scientific interests), with stars swirling in the sky throughout the night, which undoubtedly Jefferson often gazed upon above Monticello. As the author of the Declaration of Independence, and an architect of the newly formed American Republic, Jefferson realized the immense difficulties that were in store for this young country. The title, Ad Astra (to the stars), is then perhaps a metaphor for the genius of Jefferson, who voiced—seemingly more than anyone else—the aspirations of a new republic.
The sources of inspiration for my work come from opening your eyes and mind to your surroundings and experiences—something the famous Canadian photographer Freeman Patterson calls “the art of seeing.”
J. Paul Fennell
A rough-cut piece of wood spins on a device while cutting tools deftly shape the material into a vessel or spindle. Woodturning, known for its demand of skill, precision, and material intelligence on the side of the maker, emerged from an ancient production technique employed to make tools, furniture parts, and other functional objects. Like other craft disciplines, woodturning eventually captured the interest of artists, who found creative potential in the reductive shaping and ribbons of shavings that characterize the romance spectacle of this practice. Artists compelled to work with wood understand their role is not to create on a blank canvas, but to collude with the qualities already present in the material. Wood, in turn, offers up its unique and often irascible material structure, vivid patterning, and wide range of hues to the artistic conversation.
Woodturning, known for its demand of skill, precision, and material intelligence on the side of the maker, emerged from an ancient production technique employed to make tools, furniture parts, and other functional objects.
Crafted in Wood: The Stephen Weinroth Collection celebrates the inherent beauty and unique character of wood through works by leading artists whose relationship to the material is marked by decades of passion and discovery.
The creative range of woodturning artists is on full display in this collection. From narrative portrayals of the realms of flora and fauna to the contemplative elegance of a simple form, the artworks gathered here represent fifty years of leading inquiries and pursuits in sculptural woodturning, by emerging and established artists alike. Investigations in time-honored techniques like sandblasting, bleaching, and perforating, reside comfortably alongside the machined rhythms of ornamental turning and geometric surface patterning. The spirit of experimentation characterizes many of these works, as artists push the shaping and surfacing of wood into new realms.
Trees hold endless fascination for us, as the architects of a world in which we often find ourselves isolated from these majestic organisms despite our dependency on ecosystems too sophisticated for us to fully understand.
Narrative, sculptural, organic, expressive, or responding to the global treasury of material culture—among them, vessels like spoons, teapots, and perfume bottle forms—contemporary woodturning speaks about the delicate and ever-shifting balance between nature and humankind. Trees hold endless fascination for us, as the architects of a world in which we often find ourselves isolated from these majestic organisms despite our dependency on ecosystems too sophisticated for us to fully understand.
The continuity of woodturning, past and present, is a part of this relationship. In its axial orientations, its preoccupation with the ancient vessel, and reverent relationship with wood, woodturning is an art form that continues to evolve and captivate our senses. The remarkable works showcased in Crafted in Wood demonstrate the incredible potential of wood as a medium and celebrate the harmonious collaboration between human imagination and nature's innate beauty.
Jennifer Navva-Milliken is the Executive Director and Chief Curator for the Museum for Art in Wood, Philadelphia.
J. Paul Fennell b. 1938
Since 1970, American artist J. Paul Fennell has been woodturning with a focus on hollow forms. Fennell grew up on the coast north of Boston and has noted that his “earliest memories of woodworking were that of sawing and nailing scraps of wood cutoffs together in my dad’s basement workshop.” He was fascinated with how things worked and would go on to earn both a BA and MA in Engineering from Ohio State University and the University of Southern California, respectively.
Mostly self-taught, he first began turning wood as a hobby while working as an engineer on the Apollo space program in California in an effort to balance the rigors of engineering with his desire to work with his hands. Fennell developed an impressive body of work focusing on the vessel form, which he explores in a variety of themes including the natural world, patterns, and architecture. For him, the vessel is endlessly intriguing because it is a “common artifact of humanity, timeless and ubiquitous culturally.”
Fennell has been a member of the American Association of Woodturners since 1986 and a member of the Arizona Woodturners Association since 1993, and has demonstrated at numerous symposia and organizations, both local and international. His impeccably designed and exquisitely executed creations have brought him well-deserved recognition both within and outside of the woodturning field, and his work resides in numerous private collections, and several museums, including the Smithsonian, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Philadelphia Art Museum, and the Peabody-Essex Museum of Salem, Massachusetts.
Auction Results J. Paul Fennell
