Matt Campbell – Artist Statement

As a furniture maker, my primary intention is to present and display the natural, inherent beauty of the wood I use.  The wood is not created by me.  I do not define the sinuous grain in a cherry tree.  I have no affect on the warm, brown tones found in walnut.  Rather, I have a responsibility and privilege to display what God has created as the real Artist. 

            Being an introverted, quiet person lends itself well to my artistic goals.  My less-is-more attitude underlies my furniture designs.  Instead of covering my pieces with complex moulding and ornate carvings or staining wood to change its natural color, I shape, sculpt, and organize specific grains in my work to define and accentuate the wood. 

            The tools and methods I employ are the most efficient while giving the highest possible level of quality.  Hand tools and power tools are used together in my work shop.  Hand planes and spokeshaves scrape, shape, and sculpt the wood quietly in my hands.  Also, the roar of a table saw, band saw, and planers can be heard while sizing the wood to a useable dimension. 

            When working with wood, I feel as if I am reading a new mystery novel.  How will the grain look?  Will it be difficult to work?  How should I shape a table leg to flow with its apron?  How will I assemble small details into one large design that presents the wood’s natural beauty?  Through the scratch of a pencil and whisk of a plane, I read the pages engrossed in the puzzle of it all.