My neck of the woods
Alex Moseley
To my great surprise and no fault of my own, I am 78. I have lived in Pasadena, CA for almost all those years. I have been involved in art as a student, practitioner, a patron, a collector and always an appreciator for all my adult life. Art is magical and amazing. Beauty and understanding are to be found everywhere.
A love of making wooden things fell on me in the 1970’s, during a college wood sculpture class, while simultaneously being knocked out by Sam Maloof’s incredible work. That led to a continuing string of furniture pieces.
Starting in 1995, I began a long exposure and love for native arts of the Northwest Coast. The bold forms and colors; the mysterious and magical totems; masks and two dimensional design pulled me in on a chain. The experience compelled me to express my wonder in many pieces.
Focusing on good craftsmanship and unique design, the work has moved back and forth between unique furniture, an evolution of boxes, some practical and some not. Along the way, I developed an interest and technique for making image-rich mobiles out of various species of hardwood. Cutting the individual elements carefully with a scroll saw, using the color and grain of the wood as palette and brush strokes. There is no staining or artificial coloring - just the wood.They are assembled and hung using cyanoacrylate (crazy) glue and fishing line. They range from three to fifteen feet in diameter. They effortlessly move in the air, creating a constantly changing narrative. They feel like three dimensional paintings. They are very peaceful and engaging.
The work is in private collections on the west coast, and over the years, has been shown at the Pasadena Art Museum (Design 11), San Fransisco Art Institute (Juried Show), Two-person show at Triad Gallery, L.A., Stonington Gallery, Seattle, Athenaeum, La Jolla, CA
A love of making wooden things fell on me in the 1970’s, during a college wood sculpture class, while simultaneously being knocked out by Sam Maloof’s incredible work. That led to a continuing string of furniture pieces.
Starting in 1995, I began a long exposure and love for native arts of the Northwest Coast. The bold forms and colors; the mysterious and magical totems; masks and two dimensional design pulled me in on a chain. The experience compelled me to express my wonder in many pieces.
Focusing on good craftsmanship and unique design, the work has moved back and forth between unique furniture, an evolution of boxes, some practical and some not. Along the way, I developed an interest and technique for making image-rich mobiles out of various species of hardwood. Cutting the individual elements carefully with a scroll saw, using the color and grain of the wood as palette and brush strokes. There is no staining or artificial coloring - just the wood.They are assembled and hung using cyanoacrylate (crazy) glue and fishing line. They range from three to fifteen feet in diameter. They effortlessly move in the air, creating a constantly changing narrative. They feel like three dimensional paintings. They are very peaceful and engaging.
The work is in private collections on the west coast, and over the years, has been shown at the Pasadena Art Museum (Design 11), San Fransisco Art Institute (Juried Show), Two-person show at Triad Gallery, L.A., Stonington Gallery, Seattle, Athenaeum, La Jolla, CA
