After working in several artistic mediums over the course of my life, I began working with found wood in 2001. Since then, I have been creating sculptures by assembling naturally weathered wood, virtually unaltered in that the pieces are neither carved nor colored.
Allowing the wood to guide me, my sculptures organically take on lives of their own. They evolve tediously by way of trial and error, without any internal framework or premeditated vision. Structural integrity and preservation are achieved through a combination of adhesives, pin nails, dowels, hardware, and chemical treatments.
Since my childhood in New England, I have been inspired by the natural world. As an adult I consider my ongoing series of found wood faces and forms to be reanimations of my childhood perception of nature spirits. In a similar sense, I now see the faces that emerge from my work as nature itself personified.
In my artwork, I consider the process of collecting to be as important as the process of creating. I have diligently gathered wood along my travels from nearly forty American states, Canada, Mexico, and Ireland, often incorporating materials from many regions into a single sculpture. I believe the results of my art are really the results of my life in a grander sense; had I not gone to the places I did for whatever reasons, the pieces of wood I happened to see and collect would probably never be side by side, let alone integrated together in a piece of art. I find it important to consider the unknown histories of each individual piece of wood and feel that they contribute to the power of the finished works.
Direct sales are allocated exclusively to EK Allocation List members at a 10% discount. Orders of 6+ bottles save an additional 50% off shipping. New releases ship twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Join EK Allocation List
CUSTOMIZED ALLOCATIONS
You may customize your spring and fall allocations any way you like, from 0–12 bottles of each wine. (Small-lot and list-only wines will have lower limits.) To modify your allocations, click on MY ALLOCATION above. Join EK Allocation List
REORDERS
Wines often sell out at or close to release, so we encourage making the most of your spring and fall allocations. As long as wine remains, you are welcome to reorder online through our EK Special Order store. Or contact John Gillis at john@erickentwines.com or 415.244.9453.
