BIO
William Stranger has been building fine wood
furniture in his Pasadena studio since 1987.
He balances the creation of striking, functional
objects with a respect for the environment that
contributes to a sustainable way of life.
His work incorporates unusual, responsibly acquired
materials and sometimes provocative text in a form
that reflects the intersection of nature and culture.
William prefers trees to tables. He can not make
trees but he finds himself driven to make tables.
DESIGN STATEMENT
I strive for balance in life, and in furniture. My work integrates strong structural elements with traditional and innovative joinery to produce sustainable, organic furniture. I refer to these works as ecological artifacts, finely crafted objects in relation to their surroundings. There is an inherent interdependence between object, designer, maker and environment.
Our work has as little impact on the environment as possible. Wood is a precious resource that must be used responsibly. We use wood salvaged from the rural and urban landscape, recycled lumber and wood from certified well-managed forests. stranger furniture is finished with non-toxic linseed or tung oil.
I try to balance the rough beauty of the raw log, or surfaced board, with a desire to shape it into a functional, carefully made form. I am interested in the contrast between the character of wood, the grain, figure, or natural edge, and the hard straight lines and joints that are cut into it.
When the mind is quiet, inspiration from diverse sources can be brought into focus. My designs are influenced by the structure of trees, buildings and animals. When I conceive a piece of furniture I trust my eye, which wants to see tension, asymmetry and contrast. I am intuitively drawn to build with restraint, simplicity and harmony. If these elements are well balanced, the resulting form has a tangible integrity and energy.
There is a part of me that is connected to the objects which I create but if I look closely I can see that it is the attention required of me, the necessity to be fully present, that draws me to build furniture. As Carla Needleman puts it, "I will not learn about fire by thinking about fire, but by burning."
|
GALLERIES AND EXHIBITIONS
Del Mano Gallery
The Folk Tree Collection
Art Furnishings Show 2000
Art Furnishings Show 2002
Trios Gallery
Gallery of Functional Art
Group Show 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Urban Forest the Gallery of the WGSC
Wood Show 2002, 2003
Design in Wood 2003, 2004
Pasadena Museum of California Art
Good Wood, 2005 Awarded Best Design
CABoom 3 2006
|
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena, CA
Santa Monica, CA
Pasadena, CA
Solana Beach, CA
Santa Monica, CA
San Pedro, CA
Del Mar, CA
Pasadena, CA
Santa Monica, CA
|