Joseph Graci

Using both hand and power tools I create carved wood panels and sculptural objects. My primary source for materials is salvaged offcuts from local sawmills and cabinet shops. Inspiration is drawn from two main sources; the simple and clean forms of modern design, as well as from the dynamic environment where I live on the southern shore of Lake Superior in Marquette Michigan. The wood is often worked green then allowed to warp and crack as it dries. After carving I paint or burn the surface to emphasize tool marks. The lines and textures carved in the wood are abstractions from the natural world; rocks, water, sand, waves, trees, ice… I primarily work within squares, rectangles and grids; exploring relationships between the organic carving and the machined lines.