Dan Webb

Dan Webb, a Cornish alumni, carves highly realistic wooden sculptures. Webb starts from large pieces of wood and appears to have a clear idea of what it is that he is going to create before he begins to carve. Each sculpture is unpainted with the exception of two pieces which have a varnish over top of them giving them a shine while still showcasing the intricacies of the wood. Each piece seems to be addressing the dichotomy of time and fleeting moments that we all experience. Nostalgia also appears to run through some of his work. The first piece that is seen when entering his solo exhibit at the Bellevue Art Museum is a vintage school desk with gobs of gum (actual gum) stuck to underside of the desk. When viewing Webb's work it is impossible not to notice the supreme amount of detail and skill that is required to complete it. Webb explains that his inspiration comes from his personal life and his style of carving comes from traditional American wood carving (which is how he explained his use of chain carvings).

The piece that I was most drawn to was Sleeper which is carved, unpainted fir. It is encased in glass and on a pedestal. Its dimensions are 11x 28 x22 in. It is delicately carved to such detail that the only implication that it is not actually a pillow is the fact that it is clearly wood and it is among other sculptures of carved wood. If this piece were to be lying on a bed, I might believe that it was a pillow with a wood pattern pillowcase. When asked about his inspiration, he spoke of the moment just after his son got up from bed and the imprint of his head remained on the pillow for only a few brief moments before the pillow reshaped itself. He spoke of wanting to capture that moment and other similar fleeting moments. It’s as if he didn't think it was fair that moments like that didn't last longer. So, he decided to make that moment last forever through his art. What is also interesting about this piece is the fact that pillows are soft and lightweight by nature, and wood is the complete opposite as far as material. To transform wood in such a way as to capture the essence of a pillow by accurately shaping it to generate the illusion of weightlessness is a feat. Interestingly enough it is the only piece that I desperately wanted to touch out of all the pieces because everything about it defied what I know of the world and of wood and pillows.