David Carlin, Netsuke Sculptor

Wood Artist's Gallery is pleased to host a series of sculptures in the Netsuke tradition. The pieces shown here represent a culmination of over 40 years of evolving ideas. Inspired by years studying the Netsuke artform and driven by his commitment to the demands of the medium, Carlin's body of work follows a narrow path, yet spans a large scope, resulting in a wide array of subjects that resonate with any culture or generation.

Netsuke

Netsuke are sculpted, button-like toggles invented in 17th-century Japan to fasten pouches or small woven baskets (called sagemono) to the sashes (obi) of kimono.

Netsuke evolved over time from being strictly utilitarian fasteners into art objects of extraordinary craftsmanship. Today, the art lives on, with the works of some modern netsuke sculptors commanding high prices.

David Carlin's Contribution

Carlin says stories are his main source of influence. They often surface through daily experiences and lead him to explore subjects pertaining to the origins of religion, Cowboys and Indians, music, lines of humor, politics, humanity and the natural world, just to name a few. A simple life occurrence often manifests within a miniature and compact format of each sculpture.

Carving Medium and Process
Carlin's medium is Boxwood, a very close-grained hardwood grown for the exclusive purpose of carving. To a degree, Carlin says, he can see the form before it is carved in the rough block of wood. The variations of the medium force adaptations along the way, though it doesn't change the story being told. Color, the final component to the work, only arrives on the scene in the final hours. It is an integral component to completing the story.

The concentration required during long hours spent developing the idea, designing the composition, then committing to the process of execution, leads Carlin into a never-ending quest for improvement. He says that the facing of these obstacles culminates in an object that tells a story of its own. Inspiration married to dedication and skill results in a finished work that is vital and itself inspiring.