AAW Photo Gallery

By David Munkittrick

Photos By David Munkittrick

Posted: August 17, 2009

American Association of Woodturners Symposium 2009: Albuquerque, NM

Lots to do and See at the AAW Symposium 2009.

Last issue I wrote about my experiences at the American Association of Woodturners Symposium held this June in Albuquerque, NM. Visit the American Woodturners Symposium by clicking here. In that article, I focused on all the great things there were to do at the show. In this article, I want to highlight some of the great things there were to see at the symposium.

There were several exhibits going on at the show. Four were invitational and featured the work of well-established turners. The biggest, and in some ways the best, was the Instant Gallery where pros and amateurs alike displayed their work. Most of the pieces in this gallery were donated for auction. The proceeds help fund the AAW's many outreach and scholarship programs (see previous article).

This show had everything from the basic, to the bizarre, to the stunningly beautiful. Here's a sampling:

Tom Waring's "Fiddle Back in the Round"

Tom Waring's "Fiddle Back in the Round" uses a familiar form to really bring out the figure in the maple.

Many of us think of bowls when we think of turning. There was no shortage of bowls at this show.

I really appreciated Dale Larson's 3-Bowls: beautiful forms, great wood and something I might be able to accomplish…someday.

Andy Cole's set of nested bowls were turned from a single Narra blank. No wasted material here: even woodturning is going green.

Mark Bressler's "Orbs" are made from recycled books and magazines embedded in clear acrylic, then turned. I was amazed at the imaginative use of materials and the beauty of Mark's work. Talk about going green!

There were a number of jaw dropping entries that left me wondering, "How in the world did they make that?"

Bill Luce's "Vertical" was one of those, "How did he do it?" pieces. I believe this one took a sandblaster as well as a lathe to create.

Jim Aitkens "Navaho Wedding Basket" was one of those turnings that mimicked the real thing so well; you could hardly believe it's made of wood.

Ken Cowell's segmented vase had a southwest feel that reflected the New Mexican setting of the show.

Satoshi Fujimum's "Sea Form" was well named and one of several pieces in the show that looked like they could come to life. Amazing what people can do with a block of maple!

Speaking of creatures, here's one you probably wouldn't want to come alive. Anthony Harris' "Flame Ended Scroot" was inspired by some biological samples "recently discovered on the inner-most planet circling the Epsilon Eridani star". For more on the Scroot and the story of i's "flame end" see:

http://www.acmewoodturning.com/gpage.html

Binh Pho is a post-war refugee from Viet Nam. He fled the country after the war and took up turning after he settled in America. The results speak for themselves. Binh Pho tells a little bit of his story in each of his pieces.

I hope you enjoyed the show as much as I did!