Jean-Philippe Clark, Cabinet with a View (STUDENT 2024)

Student:

Tertiary

Name of school or tertiary institution, name of woodworking teacher (if you have one), and name of photographer:

Chippendale International School of Furniture. Tutor: Ben Dawson. Photos: Anna Patxot

Ash cabinet on stand. Hand cut marquetry, hand carved drawer fronts and pulls, gilded silver leaf, hand cut dovetailed carcase, and a lasered photograph in wood. Various veneers including ash, rosewood, oak, walnut, and cherry. In this piece, my goal was to bring a version of my home to a body of work. Growing up in the desert landscape around Grand Canyon, I found myself drifting from shade patch to shade patch to watch the world drift by. Through dusty naps, parched lips, and sore feet I explored both this natural world. I have a love (unrequited at times) for that environment and for most of my career I brought people into it, to have that shared experience. When I discovered craft, I seemed to let go that part of myself that yearned for landscapes. Now in school, and with a bit more experience, I decided to merge my worlds into this little cabinet with a big view. The tree is an alligator juniper tree, with its chunky, block-like bark and dying limbs. The succulent is a century plant, blooming only once in its long life. The back image is a photograph taken from a viewpoint at Grand Canyon, intended to add depth to the landscape. The drawer fronts are carved in a floral pattern, to remind me that life exists in hard places. The silver leaf gilded clouds brought light to the landscape.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.