CHRISTIAN BURCHARD

Christian Burchard works exclusively with Madrone burl. Beginning each piece while wet, he shapes it freehand with a chainsaw, bandsaw, or sawmill then lets the piece dry. As the moisture leaves the wood it begins to contract, transforming into elegant, often surprising forms. From this form, Christian brings his own hand back into the piece, sandblasting, bleaching, and burning the surface to reveal the detail and expressiveness of the wood. He may burn or carve marks into the surface, resembling tattoos or writing. The result is a balance of control and freedom, a collaboration between artist and material.

Born in Hamburg, Germany in 1955, Christian has been living in the United States since 1978. Starting out as a furniture makers apprenticeship in Germany in the middle seventies, he studied sculpture and drawing at the Museum School in Boston, then at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design in Vancouver BC. He currently resides on the outskirts of Ashland, Oregon.