Introduction to Spalted Wood (ONLINE), with Dr. Seri Robinson

The technique of using pigments produced by a select group of wood decaying fungi (spalting fungi) has a long history in woodcraft. Spalted wood use has been traced back as far as the 1400s in Western Europe, where the blue-green color caused by Chlorociboria fungi was placed in handcut intarsia and marquetry work in castles and churches. Spalted wood is prevalent in modern woodwork as well and is experiencing a surge in renewed popularity, but the pigments themselves have potential as thin films for photovoltaic cells, textile dyes, decking finishes, and much more. Join Dr. Spalting on a six hundred year journey through wood history as they trace spalted wood through cultures, time, art, and science, and learn how you too can work with this dynamic art form.

Instructor's Bio
I’m an associate professor of wood anatomy at Oregon State University and work within the field of art science as a bio artist. I’m invested in maintaining a balance in my work, striving to not be ‘just’ an artist or ‘just’ a scientist, but to blur the line between the two disciplines. Neither science nor art can exist without the other, and the intersection of the two disciplines–the substantial Venn diagram overlap, is critical for excellence in either field.

Intersections, in particular, fascinate me, and spalted woodturning is the perfect medium to explore both internal and external intersections. The intersection of science and art. The intersection of old and new methodology–from historic spalted intarsia and marquetry work in the 1400s in Europe to modern spalting methods today that use extraction methods and pipettes. The intersections of form and self–the duality of being an intersex person–the understanding of biological sex in its most primitive form and the communication of those concepts in turned and reversed curves. And underlying it all, the intersection of how humans perceive fungi–both reviled/feared and celebrated as a food source. Spalted wood offers endless opportunities to explore and expose intersections both historic, modern, personal, and external.

Details
Date: Sunday, August 20
Time: 1-3pm
Ages: All Ages
Location: ONLINE Course via Zoom

Sliding Scale Course Fee Guidelines

Supporter Level Ticket: $35
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Supported Level Ticket: $15
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