Wooden Metros – Sculptures by James McNabb

James McNabb used to be a furniture maker, until he discovered that it was way more fun to make art. His work has been described by some as ‘sketching with a band saw’ which, when you look at his work, is not entirely untrue.

James’ preferred medium is wood, and he uses different types in every sculpture. The color and grain of each unique individual block gives a nice contrast to the whole piece. His art explores architectural shapes without regard to the design or stability a true architect might utilize.

Metros is one of James’ most recent series featuring carved wooden representations of a metropolis. Each piece is made up of small, individual blocks of wood carved to look like a building – a futuristic building that defies the laws of Newtonian physics and current engineering practices. The pieces are then glued together to form wheels, arcs, odd geometric shapes, and even a table.

Environmentalists need not worry, all of his materials are ‘found’ or re-purposed wood.

When asked about his work, he replied: “I compare hyper-realistic painting to fine woodworking. Both are slow, tedious, detail oriented process that require great care and consideration through every stage of making. In contrast, I compare my style of rapid band saw mark making to the fast paced nature of spray can art. It’s my attempt at ‘urban woodworking.'”

Metros is part of a larger collection of work called The City Series. According to James’ website, The City Series represents a woodworker’s journey from the suburbs to the city.

Each piece depicts the outsider’s perspective of the urban landscape. Made entirely of scrap wood, this work is an interpretation of making something out of nothing. Each piece is cut intuitively on a band saw. The result is a collection of architectural forms, each distinctly different from the next.’

The City Series is a collection of wood sculptures that represent a woodworker’s journey from the suburbs to the city. Each piece depicts the outsider’s perspective of the urban landscape. Made entirely of scrap wood, this work is an interpretation of making something out of nothing. Each piece is cut intuitively on a band saw. The result is a collection of architectural forms, each distinctly different from the next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a look at more of his awesome creations here.

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