Oliver Chalk

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previously shown in

fibre: texture and surface 2022

linear expression 2022

surface, edge, shadow 2022

earth materials 2023

unearthed 2023

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time spent 2024

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A solo exhibition of turned wood and cast bronze vessels.

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Sustainability is of great importance to Oliver. All his raw materials are sourced within close proximity to his workshop, from exclusively native or naturalised species, felled due to disease or storm fallen. Ash is one of his favourite materials to work with. It is cherished due to the sharp decline of the numbers of Ash trees, from the devastation of the dieback disease, and understanding that within his lifetime it may no longer populate the local forests and tree lines Oliver is so accustomed to.

 

Fascinated by green wood and the seductive allure of curves, work is predominantly spherical in nature. His process encourages the material towards what it naturally wants to be, a respect for the material itself being something Oliver celebrates.

 

This organic process means he cannot foresee the end result, nor does he want predetermined outcomes, allowing intuition and material to collide into a balanced form.

Once he has a form to work with, the tension between art and craft can begin, with the lathe being only part of the process, not the solution.

 

Regarding the surface, Oliver looks to evoke the sensibility of touch, this being a central facet of how we process our surroundings and an integral part of what it means to be human. Expression through the feeling of touch is the connection from craft to fine art in his work, emphasised with embossed textures, recesses and grooves.

 

Wanting the work to speak to him when it's finished rather than compromising, there is no specified timeline to Oliver’s process; the aim is always to impart purity, integrity and grace through each element of what he does.

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​Click images for details and if you are interested in any of Oliver Chalk's work please enquire below.​​​​​​​​​​​