Craft Conversations
Stuart Davidson is a furniture maker based in rural Victoria. Ahead of his studio tour as part of the Virtual Open Studios program, we took the opportunity to ask him a few questions and learn a little more about his practice.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you became interested in woodworking?
I live on a property in southwest Victorian on a mixed farm comprising of fine wool merino sheep and Hereford cattle. Our family have owned and managed this operation for the last four generations. Growing up on a farm gave me a terrific opportunity to experiment with objects, engines, wood, and metal from an early age. It has led me to become interested in how things work and are made, which has developed into a passion for craft, specifically furniture making.
After completing boarding school in Ballarat, I moved to Melbourne, studied landscape architecture at RMIT before then deciding to change path. I completed a pre-apprenticeship in furniture making then landed an apprenticeship with Christion Cole furniture, where I worked for two years. After that period, I completed my apprenticeship with a recycled timber furniture maker in Brunswick - which I loved.
I pursued work in the commercial industry and gained various skills in architectural joinery, shopfitting and installation. After that, I moved back to our family property and had the opportunity to set up machinery and a studio space where I could explore some of my own furniture designs.
I first became particularly interested in Windsor designed furniture when I saw this style of craft being demonstrated at the first-ever lost trade fair in 2012. I then furthered my knowledge and skills by completing a course with Glen Rundell and Greg Pennington from Tennessee. I loved it so much that I took a working holiday to visit him at the Pennington woodwork school in Nashville. I also had time while I was there to see and experience a master chairmaker in North Carolina who has been developing his craft for over 30 years! I have also completed work with Jon grant at the Handmade Matter's studio in the Derwent Valley, Tasmania, and at the Melbourne Guild of Fine Woodworking.
What are some unusual places you draw inspiration from?
I draw inspiration from all aspects of nature. Having grown up on a farm I take great interest in the texture of the landscape and the natural environment. I have grown up with a mechanical background and enjoy combining my mechanical knowledge in creating objects and jigs that are used in my woodworking practice.
If we walked into your studio, what would we see you working on right now?
At the moment, I have been working on developing some new jigs and fixtures in preparation for making a technically challenging chair which I have not made before. It will be a traditional Windsor design that has a crest formed from a single piece of timber that is rived from a log and then bent in multiple directions to form the back. I hope to take these more traditional designs and recreate them with a more contemporary flare. I have been looking at more efficient ways and techniques that can speed up the process of making a chair. and am also experimenting with some different finishes, and keep a selection of razor tools sharp and maintained. I want sharp tools to be the major driver in the finished work I create. A hand tool finish creates a surface and texture which is unique to any other finish.
A lot of people have re-evaluated the way they work, what impact has the pandemic had on your practice? Were they positive or negative? Have you adopted any new skills or techniques that you otherwise may not have?
The pandemic, luckily for me, has not been a big contributor in defining how I work. I am very privileged because I do not have huge overhead costs or pressures with my studio, which allows me to pursue my work without that type of stress. I have been able to set up a more comfortable space for working during the pandemic, making my studio a more pleasant area to be in, and making it a more productive space.
Who is an underrepresented artist we should be looking at right now?
I love the work of the stonemason artist Den Holm. Although he is quite an established artist, I'm always blown away by his creative way of working and making unique limestone sculptures. I love the natural textural quality of the pieces.
Thank you for your time Stuart - we look forward to seeing you in this year's Virtual Open Studios!
Interview by Eloise Sim, Curatorial and Programs Assistant