M A T E R I A L M A T T E R S
f t "
f
'
' 5 -
o
»
-
4
-.
# 6 ,
2010
white oak
іб X
12
x
8
in.
# 4 ,
2010
ash, steel wire,
found wood branch
27
x
10
x
5
in.
A t R I T , t h r o u g h m o n th s o f
t r ia l a n d e r r o r , K im d e v e lo p e d a
c o m p le x p r o c e s s t h a t in v o lv e s a n
a r s e n a l o f t o o ls t r a d it io n a lly u s e d
t o m a k e e v e r y t h in g f r o m b e n c h e s
a n d b o a t s to b a n jo s a n d b r o o c h e s .
H e b e g in s w it h t r a d it io n a l
w o o d w o r k in g t o o ls - b a n d s a w ,
p la n e r , a n d s a n d e r - t o c r e a te
t h in s t r ip s o u t o f a p a le , p lia n t ,
s u b t ly g r a in e d , s u s t a in a b le
w o o d . A f t e r s o f t e n in g t h e s t i f f
s t r ip s in a s t e a m in g tu b e o r a t u b
o f h o t w a t e r , h e b e n d s e a c h o n e
b y p r e s s in g it a g a in s t a h o t v io lin
ir o n , a t h ic k r o d o f e le c t r if ie d
a lu m in u m u s e d t o c r e a t e th e
c u r v e s in m u s ic a l in s t r u m e n t s .
N e x t h e t a k e s u p a j e w e lr y
d r ill , f it t e d w it h a n e e d le - t h in
b it , t o p ie r c e e a c h s t r ip . U s in g
h is o w n b a r e ( a n d s o m e t im e s
b lo o d ie d ) h a n d s , h e t h r e a d s
s h o r t , s h a r p - t ip p e d s t r a n d s o f
w ir e t h r o u g h c o r r e s p o n d in g
h o le s , t h e n g e n t ly t w is t s th e m
t ig h t e n o u g h t o h o ld th e w o o d
s t r ip s t o g e t h e r w it h o u t c r a c k -
in g th e m .
W h e n t h e f o r m is c o m p le t e ,
K i m s a y s , h e fa c e s h is t o u g h e s t
ta s k : s t o p p in g .
H e d o e s n o t s t a in th e p ie c e .
H e d o e s n o t s a n d t h e e d g e s . H e
d o e s n o t u s e g lu e t o h e lp h o ld
it t o g e t h e r .
H e le a v e s i t r a w , h e s a y s , t o
s u g g e s t t h e p o w e r a n d v u ln e r -
a b ilit y o f t h e h u m a n h e a r t .
+
h e e c h a n k im . c o m
Sebby IVilson Jacobson is a writer,
editor, and
journalism professor in
Rochester, New Tirk.
jun/jul n american craft 025
