The Madison County Arts Council (MCAC) presents Drew Langsner: This is Not a Chair, on display at the Arts Center in Marshall beginning with an opening reception Thursday, June 1, from 5–8 p.m., and running through Saturday, July 29. The exhibit is a journey through the woodworking artist’s relationship with wood, with his natural environment and with man-made design.
Goodnight Moon. Drew Langsner, artist
“Drew is renowned worldwide as a fine furniture craftsman and woodworker,” says Cynthia Cutting, MCAC gallery committee chair. “In this show, he shares with us a different side to his work, one that was found through playful experimentation with familiar materials coupled with the keen eye of a fine sculptor.”
The exhibit grounds visitors in Langsner’s furniture, then quickly leads into his explorations in abstract functional and non-functional wood constructions. Several artwork groupings are presented, from invented functional and abstract Multi Hollow Servers, to assorted styles of small sculptures made from found tree parts, to the most recent series of deconstructed chairs.
“In all of my work the look should be satisfying, every element just right, although sometimes random and somewhat surprising,” says Langsner. “This is how it is with all kinds of things that result from what could be called natural development, like a leaf, a lemon or even a rock.”
Langsner conceived of his series of deconstructed chairs one day in 2020, when he ventured into the upper loft of his studio for some old barn siding to split into kindling. As he ascended the ladder, he spotted a cluster of wood chairs in storage and had an ‘aha’ moment.
Embraceable You. Drew Langsner, artist
“Some had been waiting years for a repair; others were pretty much old wrecks that had not quite been thrown out,” he says. “These old chairs were exactly what I didn’t know I needed to be the materials for my continuing exploration of painted wood sculpture.”
Langsner’s method involved sawing the chairs into pieces then holding and clamping them in different ways and at almost random angles, looking for relationships that were visually pleasing. His construction was much the same as making a conventional chair in that he used mortises and tenons to connect pieces.
“A major discovery was finding that paired pieces could be rotated or twisted, changing the joined angles and the overall appearance from a chair to a sculpture,” he says.
The pieces are finished with metallic acrylics or clear enamel. Each sculpture changes in appearance with shifts in lighting and angle.
The Arts Center is located at 90 South Main Street, in Marshall. Exhibits are free and open to the public. Hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Learn more at MadisonCountyArts.com.
