To Turn the Perfect Wooden Bowl: The Lifelong Quest of Bob Stocksdale
By (Author) Ron Roszkiewicz
Fox Chapel Publishing
Fox Chapel Publishing
1st May 2009
United States
General
Non Fiction
684.083
160
Width 203mm, Height 203mm
454g
A unique look at the life of a woodturning legend - Bob Stocksdale. Using text transcribed from audio tapes and never-before-seen photographs, the author reveals Stocksdale's bowl turning techniques, his life's story, and much more.
I have always regarded Bob Stocksdale as the consummate craftsman, the epitome of old world craftsmanship in "the new world." During the time that the studio woodturning movement was developing within American craft, Bob was already long established as a highly successful and respected professional woodturner, in a league all his own. My professional relationship with Bob began in 1978 when our work was exhibited, along with that of my father and Ed Moulthrop, in a show at the Renwick Gallery, the first exhibition of studio woodturning held by a major museum. The following year, I met Bob for the first time when The Elements Gallery in New York gave us a two-person show. It was an honor to show with him at that time as it is now to have my work appear alongside his in the collections of many museums. Bob was unphased by the new attention being focused on woodturning, and unswayed by the new generation's impatience with the traditions of craftsmanship. Throughout his long career, he maintained the same focus and pure vision, producing bowls whose form and grace hold their own against the backdrop of contemporary innovation and stylistic exploration.
"I came to know Bob and Kay during the decade I was managing del Mano Gallery and my wife and I would drive up to visit them often. In the years since, I've found that the aesthetic embraced by Bob and his fellow pioneering woodturners has given way to works that are overly tricky and clever. Although I'm a fan of a lot of the sculptural work being created today, I feel that something has been lost in the move away from fine bowl forms in beautiful woods and believe that we'll see a "neo-classical" movement in the woodturning field in the future, that celebrates Bob's aesthetic and brings balance to the field."
As far as I am concerned, Bob Stocksdale was the father of American woodturning.
His work in bowl turning set a standard that all turners look up to today: Excellence is where you begin.
Bob Stocksdale (1913-2002) is arguably the dean of American woodturners. His selection of material, masterful technique, and attention to detail set the gold standard for wood turning excellence from the early 1970's onward. An intimate look at the turner, his approach to wood turning, and his life long quest to turn the perfect bowl.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about drawing inspiration for my woodturnings from the work of Bob Stocksdale, one of the most influential woodturning artisans of the past 50 years. No less a luminary than Sam Maloof says, "As far as I'm concerned, Bob Stocksdale was the father of American woodturning." A new book, scheduled to be published soon by Fox Chapel Publishing, offers up an in-depth view of Stocksdale, his work, and his approach to craft. To Turn the Perfect Wooden Bowl (paperback, $24.95), by Ron Roszkiewicz, is based largely on lengthy interviews the author taped with Stocksdale in 1987. Roszkiewicz writes that his objective "is to provide a snapshot of a few days in the studio of an American original and to hear him describe his life and work in that comfort zone." Born and raised in Indiana, Stocksdale turned his first bowl during WWII when, as a conscientious objector, he was detained in a work camp in Michigan. After the war he settled in Berkeley, California, where he lived and worked until he died in 2003. Among his first clients were Gump's, the legendary upscale San Francisco giftware store; Nieman Marcus, equally legendary and equally upscale; and Georg Jensen and Bonnier's, stores that did much to popularize Scandinavian design in this country after WWII. To Turn the Perfect Wooden Bowl reproduces letters to Stocksdale from those stores, and describes in considerable detail how Stocksdale chose his wood, roughed it out with chain saw and band saw, and how he worked at the lathe. But for me the most valuable part of the book is the photography--some 50 examples of his work. The "perfect" bowl of the title may not be among them, but you can quickly see what shapes and curves obviously captivated Stocksdale, because they occur repeatedly. What's also striking to me is how carefully Stocksdale shaped his bowls so that the wood grain and figure had maximum impact. That's no accident. Roszkiewicz writes: "Bob Stocksdale's approach to bowl making was workmanlike and efficient. Wiith each cut, new wood emerged and he often stopped to calculate the effect of continuing on the current path or altering the design." To Turn the Perfect Wooden Bowl won't teach you woodturning technique. But the inspiration and insight it does provide are worth it all. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob's life is a microcosm of the contemporary woodturning movement. In the early 1970s, he switched from making functional salad bowls to creating decorative bowls made from exotic woods. A similar trend was happening in the craft fair circuit, and indeed many woodturners were copying Bob's bowl designs. "In addition to being known for his turning excellence and his gift for finding the best wood, Bob had a wonderful work ethic and managed to balance his work and his personal life well. As Kay [Bob's wife] explained, 'Bob is very disciplined. He's there at 9 a.m. and out by 3:30 p.m. and he never works on the weekends. That's the way it has been." I met Bob in the early 1990s. He was from Indiana and while visiting family, he stopped by to say hello. It wasn't long before two very interesting chunks of wood made their way into Bob's hands. I had no doubt that he would do them proper justice. Bob could orient a bowl in a piece of wood better than anyone. He has few equals, even today. For everyone who is interested in turning a better bowl, this book is a must.
Many consider Bob Stocksdale to be the father of American Woodturning, and this book is about his lifelong quest to turn the perfect bowl. Bob Stocksdale never wrote a "how to turn" book in his lifetime and was one of the few big name turners who never did. The only other contemporary turner in the same league with Stocksdale is David Ellsworth, who had never put his techniques and philosophies into book form until his recent publication. Bob Stocksdale's work was one of the first I was able to recognize by sight. His classical forms were perfectly executed and flawlessly finished, and they left no doubt as to who made the vessel. Working mostly by himself - there weren't a lot of other turners when he started - and using primarily exotic timbers, he helped lead the way to the woodworking and woodturning renaissance that was underway in the mid-1980s. I don't get a lot of time to just sit down and enjoy a book, and usually devote my Christmas holiday vacation time to doing just that. I buy different paperback and hardcover books during the year, and those that haven't been read come with me. I got this book just prior to my trip and was looking forward to reading it on the beaches of Jamaica. BOOK FORMAT The book is basically a series of interviews that the author had with Stocksdale, while following him for a few days in 1987. The book's objective was to "provide a snapshot of a few days with an American original, and to hear him describe his life and work in that comfort zone." The book was originally planned to be released in 1987; however, the sale and subsequent resale of the original publishing house doomed the book. The book sat on the author's shelf until it was pitched to its current publisher. The book starts out with a biography of Stocksdale and how began his woodworking career using a pocket knife at age six, to when and how he came to be a turner while in the Conscientious Objector (CO) camps during WW11. It follows his life from the time he was released from those CO camps at the end of the war, until 1987, when the material for this book was collected. Included in this chapter are various letters sent to Bob and different newspaper clippings that provide a bit of insight into his life. The next section is a 30+ page gallery of his work. Stocksdale made functional pieces from exotics and domestic hardwoods, and was one of the first turners I became aware of who made use of what came to be called "natural edge." The vessels are beautiful and chronicled a lifetime of work. Those photos alone are worth the price of the book. The next chapter, done in a question-and-answer format, covers Stocksdale's philosophies on his chosen medium. Included are his views on various topics, ranging from procuring wood to drying methods, fixing defects, wood selection, burls, and decorating his work. The next chapter is basically a tour through Stocksdale's shop. The different stationary tools he used are discussed and insights that led to the way his turning tools were developed are also given. He, along with Jerry Glaser, pioneered many of the tools and techniques we take for granted today. A short section on sharpening follows, before the reader is taken through Stocksdale's processes for turning both a bowl and a platter. Step-by-step photos are provided along with a description of the process from start to finish. This is followed by a section on sanding and finishing. The last section discusses the "business of woodturning" and how he developed his pricing system, packed the vessels, and how he cultivated sales to retail outlets and collectors. Also discussed is the influence that James Prestini had on Stocksdale's work. FINAL THOUGHTS I absolutely enjoyed the book. When I started woodturning, Stocksdale was one of the premier artists of the time, and a lot of turners emulated his style and forms. Though he didn't teach or write articles or books, he managed to influence an entire contingent of budding turners during the time turning was making its comeback - and I am one of those people. I'm disappointed that I was never able to include one of Stocksdale's peices in my collection. I recommend the book to anyone who is inter
Ron works as an information architect, writer and industry analyst. He currently consults for several companies including Adobe and Quark and has previously written Woodturner's Companion 9780806979403.