The Soapbox Series Vol. 5
Woodworking is an art form.
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“Guardians of the Seed” by recycle artist & activist Thomas Dambo
Woodworking is one of the most under-recognized forms of art. It’s almost as if we forget that wood comes from a living tree; that it in no way resembles a bed or chair until it is manipulated.
Most often, or at least in the part of the world many of us grew up in, that means a factory with heavy machinery has done the work. Here in Mexico, and particularly in Baja Sur, it means a person with a selection of tools has taken the coarse pieces and turned it into the dining table or chairs that you gather around with your family.
At work in Pescadero workshop
The stages of wood production are many and begin with finding a source that has preserved the wood and kept it securely away from insects (remember, it is a live food source for all sorts of creatures for much of its life). The wood is then milled and smoothed so that you don’t come away with splinters. And if it’s a rounded piece like those that we have in-store, it takes a special tool and a lot of time to manually round the edges and create movement in the piece. Then pieces are assembled and eventually coated with a protective layer of oil or varnish or monocoat, perhaps it’s even painted. But if it’s well-sourced wood that is treated with care throughout the process, seeing the living piece is so incredible you probably don’t want to paint it at all. It also makes you wonder when something is painted or varnished, what perhaps is it hiding?
The process for a handmade bed frame, credenza or bench like those on display at the newly-opened wama in Todos Santos, or the incredibly comfortable BajAdirondack made modern by lead carpentry partner Harry Tea, take weeks and in some cases months to create. And they each beg the question, what do you think the value is of functional artwork.
And if you’re comparing it to something found at Costco or Ashley Furniture, you’ve kind of missed the point.
Custom Rosa Morada desk made in Pescadero
The Soapbox Series is presented by Know Your Water Baja: Water testing & filtration system solutions crafted by Drew Reinstein; a 20 year veteran toxicologist & marine biologist certified by the EPA, and California Departments of Toxic Substances Control & Health Services.
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