Brad Moss works in a traditional woodcraft – turning – but that is where the link with what in Tasmania is preconceived as woodturning ends.
Brad overflows with ideas, these translate into designs around shape, surfaces, weight and balance creating objects that combine art and functionality. Many have ideas, few are able to transform them into unique, intriguing and beautiful objects, Brad is one of them.
A full-time turner since 1985, Brad has taken his inspiration from potters, in his view the ultimate “shapers”. This highlights his consideration of turning as an artform, rather than a craft. This view was reinforced in his early career training and mentoring in the US, in particular, in his time with David Ellsworth, the doyen of US woodturning. Limited production of considered, designed furniture pieces complements his turning output, again spanning the art and functionality boundaries.
This exposure to the US tradition, combined with inspiration from Chinese and Japanese potters and clay vessels produced by cultures such as the Pablo Indians in the US combined with Brad’s ideas and skills to underpin a design and making career spanning decades and continents.
“The reason I make art is multi-layered. Personal enjoyment, pushing the boundaries of what is perceived as traditional wood turning, adding social comment or humour to a piece. Equal satisfaction is achieved from burning, painting, texturing or plastering a piece of timber as there is in showing off the beautiful grain and natures patterns of a polished finished piece. I believe concentrating on form is far more important than technique. These are some of the principals I use to achieve my Art”.
Brad Moss on “Images of Tasmania”.
Brad’s quote highlights the divergence that creates his unique position. His ideas and designs transform into high end object production ranges that tend to have a 2-3 year life-span before they are replaced with new products. They are distributed through exhibitions, design centres and targeted retail outlets, the market is primarily national and international, people who collect on a repeat basis and with an interest in object based art that pushes multiple boundaries. Brad’s international reputation is demonstrated with his featuring as the cover article in the April 2017 “American Woodturner”.
“The reason I make art is multi-layered. Personal enjoyment, pushing the boundaries of what is perceived as traditional wood turning, adding social comment or humour to a piece. Equal satisfaction is achieved from burning, painting, texturing or plastering a piece of timber as there is in showing off the beautiful grain and natures patterns of a polished finished piece. I believe concentrating on form is far more important than technique. These are some of the principals I use to achieve my Art”.
Brad Moss on “Images of Tasmania”.
Brad’s quote highlights the divergence that creates his unique position. His ideas and designs transform into high end object production ranges that tend to have a 2-3 year life-span before they are replaced with new products. They are distributed through exhibitions, design centres and targeted retail outlets, the market is primarily national and international, people who collect on a repeat basis and with an interest in object based art that pushes multiple boundaries. Brad’s international reputation is demonstrated with his featuring as the cover article in the April 2017 “American Woodturner”.
The process that results in the object commences with the idea or concept, drawing and then finding suitable timber to make the object. Brad buys his timber as a log and works from “good-end on”. He works with timber in the green. Aligning grain and achieving even wall and base thickness, Brad can control how the timber will move as it dries.
Brad is highly “self-contained” as a designer and maker. He is unconstrained by tradition in terms of design, products and technique, however this is also respectful of and influenced by cultures and traditions. His practice clearly demonstrates the opportunity for a contemporary focus within the sector.
This approach develops new knowledge, techniques and skills, blurs boundaries and offers opportunities to evolve the Tasmanian wood based arts and crafts to ensure its ongoing diversity, relevance and sustainability.
You can learn more about Brad’s craft in this interview with Design Tasmania.