Art and Design

Dear Reader,

About eight years ago, I start making a cupboard that includes many of my experiences I have, from working with wood close to nature. Going through the whole cycle of processing timber to a final product and still be able to see the raw material at the same time. I really thought, it should not become an artificial straightforward looking cupboard but something, which should shine out freedom in form or use of materials. It must reflect art and craft, be useful at the same time and it should have a message that attracts people consciousness for nature.

So I started making sketches and drawings of the ideas I had.

The sketches I made, I used for the basic idea and started actually working on the two doors. Although the main idea on paper kept the same, changes where made during the process of making the cupboard. The doors are very much the focus point of the cupboard. It symbolises the earth and some of the planets, include the Sun. As planets do influence us, they influence trees as well and can make a great impact on a particular tree while it’s growing. We all know that our Moon can make an impact on us, especially when it’s full. We also know that the sea is influenced by the Moon. But we probably do not know about the influence from Mars on Oak for example. It’s not only the Moon who has their powers but Jupiter, Venus, Saturn and the Sun as well. All in a different way and some stronger than others. Each planet has a particular power on certain trees and again one more then the other. So is Birch the tree of Love, and is connected to the planet Venus. The Beech to Saturn, Ash to the Sun, Cherry to the Moon, Oak to Mars, The Elm to Mercury and Maple to Jupiter.

Each planet is connected with a day of the week, like we can connect the Sun with Sunday. The Moon with Monday, Mars with Tuesday, Mercury with Wednesday, Jupiter with Thursday, Venus with Friday and Saturn with Saturday.

I made a drawer from this particular timber for each day of the week and the doors (made out of ash) for the Sunday. Different joints of the drawers are reflecting the force of the each of these planets. The leaves dried out and used as maquetery are showing the variety of patterns and shapes and identifying each tree. A small branch of the tree is used as handle for the drawer. The fine carving of the leaves of each tree, at the top of the doors are not only related to the trees of the 7 day’s but it also emphases the different possibilities of working with wood like; carving, joinery, veneer work, inlay and use of rustic elements. Different metals are used throughout the cupboard to emphases these powers.

On each side of the cupboard you can find an inward and an outward spiral, intertwined with each other. This means our inside of being free human beings and each of us carries destiny. The planets Moon, Mercury and Venus are our “destiny” planets they very much influence the direction of our life. Do we have a rich love life? Or are we a confident and a strong person? While the planets on the right side of the cupboard Mars, Jupiter and Saturn are making our character and are free to develop. The planets of “freedom” Everything in life has a counter force. ” Like we have “Yin and Yang” “In and Out” and have the possibility to say “Yes or No” This symbolised in creating the two spirals on the sides of the cupboard, Cherry bark laid in the solid Oak boards.

The whole cupboard symbolises actually our whole life cycles.
The legs standing on stones, The Earth we are living on, where each person finds its own spiritual path. For some of us it’s an easy path but others struggle. The ivy around the legs does symbolise this path. Above the Lotus flower, swings an “Arm” that protects us from harmful influences. Language is what we need to learn and an important tool to communicate with each other so we are able to develop. I have chosen the Celtic tree alphabet. On the top of the cupboard you can see the womb of a woman, the “stone” symbolises the hart and out of that, new life can be born by the experience we have in our lives and from that we can create something new. The elements of Air, Water, Earth and Fire are used to make it possible for this cupboard to exist.

The different materials used are divided into three groups, Animal kingdom, Plant kingdom and Mineral kingdom. Deerskin, a Sea Star as handles for the doors, are making us aware of the materials that animals can offer, to make all kind of products like shoes and wool. All animals use the same air as we do and we are in direct contact with them because we do share the same ground on earth. The texture of these materials is from origin soft, warm and easy to transform in an item. Then you can see materials used from the plants and our forest. These living trees are providing us of heat, warmth, timber, food etc. and do not move around like the animals. They occupy certain areas of our earth but they have their roots deep in out soil. A greater effort needs to be made to transform the materials and sharp tools are needed. The last group of materials are the minerals. Stone, glass and metals all extracted out of the soil. Here often a high temperature is needed for the transformation process and often a difficult chemical process has to be taken place to transform them.

We are getting pulled away of all the preparation processes needed for these materials to become useful for us. We do not know anymore where materials come from. Our awareness and appreciation of the process is not important anymore. We can decide to buy (ready-made products) or not. They are their made for us, by high technical processes we do not understand anymore. We are not part of this difficult process. The relationship we have with nature in connection with the materials we use to make everything we need is different. It’s not important for us anymore what happened during the process as long as the end product is satisfied under certain rules and regulations. We try to make a relation with nature in a different way. We try to understand the importance of nature but lost contact.

And we all know that our earth is suffering and nobody knows exactly what to do about it.

It’s gone out of hands, out of control.
The demand is bigger than ever, is growing and money is a big issue.
Fast, faster and high speed productions. Good, better and wanting to have the best quality.
But we do life in a “throwing away” culture. We want to be able to change our interior, or whatever we own more often, because it’s made possible for us to change because we have no time to appreciate what we have, we are often bored by looking at the same thing all the time. The word “quality” has change meaning. What is the quality of life? Is it what we have or is it how we are?

Direct contact with the materials is essential for us to maintain contact with nature. The tools we use to make an article should be the extension of our body. I mean not a bottom we press for a machine that is doing the job for us, but the hammer we use to bang in a nail. The moment when we are in contact with the material, we learn about that material. We learn about resistance and flowing forms. We experience our self how we can handle the material and maintain them.

This cupboard is hand made (very little hand machine tools are used) This cupboard has taught me something. It started to life its own live when created. It pushed the maker to think and go in certain directions. It’s not only made for a purpose of use. It’s asking for discussion and answers difficult questions. Its shows simplicity and mystery of nature and how it can express itself.

For more information contact:
Daan de Leeuw

P.S. After the finishing this cupboard the idea came up to make 7 smaller cupboards that represent all the different planets of the day. Each cupboard will shine out the different qualities of a certain planets and will express my own feelings about this particular planet.

Two of them are ready and are shown at the Inspirational Arts Festival in London they are called “Mars Shrine” and “The Thinker”