Turning Design: Bob Hawks

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Author: Victoria Saccomagno (OVAC Intern)

Bob Hawks, Where there is smoke, Cherry Wood, 25x 5x 5"

Woodturning artist Bob Hawks draws weightlessness from hismedium. His Concept/OK: Art in Oklahoma piece Where There’s Smoke, demonstrates notonly an unspeakable level of craftsmanship, but also an observance andtranslation of outdoor space and movement. Supplementing that observance, hispreference for wood salvaged from damaged construction or storms breathes lifeback into the abandoned pieces he finds. I was able to ask the Tulsa artist afew questions about his history with art, technical process with woodturning,and inspiration behind designing ‘dead’ wood back to life.  
Q: I understand thatyou switched to woodturning after 35 years of photography. Are there anyfundamentals of photography that translated over to woodturning, or was there adistinct disciplinary jump?BH: From a mechanical standpoint, it was a big jump. When itcame to designing pieces in woodturning, many of the same ideas and good designapply to both good photography and woodturning.

Bob Hawks, Where there is smoke [detail], Cherry Wood, 25x 5x 5"

Q: Your pieces lookvirtually seamless; does this happen with careful planning, or does the woodtake on a life of its own to a certain degree before you decide what it willlook like?BH: Segmented pieces start with dry dimensional limber andprecise drawing. This pretty much dictates what the piece will look like. Inthe case of vessels turned from green logs, many times the wood grain, color,and texture of the log dictates what will happen as you turn. Usually I startwith a design in mind, but often that will change as the turning progresses.
Q: How has technologytransformed your studio? I know that you’ve been working as a wood turner since1985, is there any process that you would refuse to update, or is theremachinery that, when updated, assisted better with your work?BH: The basic concept of woodturning is a handheld tooladdressed to a piece of wood spinning on a lathe. That is still the same afterhundreds of years. Of course, there have been refinements in the making oftools and lathes, and I take advantage of them when they aid in the process. Asfar as I’m concerned, the design of the piece is the most important element,not how it was mechanically achieved.
Q: What would you sayinspires you and your work?BH: Mostly things from nature and the outdoors. Treesthemselves, flowers, smoke from a chimney, wind, rain, birds flying, etc. 

The Concept/OK: Art in Oklahoma exhibition opens December 16, 1-5 pm at the new Tulsa Arts and Humanities Council’s Hardesty Arts Center. See www.concept-ok.org for more information.