With an expanse of aurora-like dense wood grain on show, the garden trowel’s broad, concave, tapering blade is unique among these tools as it expresses the sweeping fluidity of grain movement. Hand carved from a solid block of Walnut and then turned so that wood meets sand cast iron in perfect geometry, the sculpture is finished with a turned and hollowed functional wood ferrule.
Interested in the interaction of natural and manmade worlds, Michael Moran, a woodworker and tree lover, and his partner Celia Gibson create pieces that are both elegant and honest, paying homage to the unique characteristics of the wood itself. The domestic hardwood trees used for Moran Woodworked’s custom, limited-edition furniture — as well as for Michael’s sculpture — each have their own story to tell, with each knot, curve, and bark inclusion honored as part of that story. Such care and reverence for materials encourage viewers to reconsider the ways in which they interact with, and often take for granted, the natural world.
Michael and Celia have been designing and building modern, yet traditionally crafted furniture since 2004 in their workshop and home in New York’s Hudson Valley.
- Walnut and Iron
- Boxed 16.75" x 8.75"x 3.25”
- 2021.
- Edition 1/2.
