Jim Crockatt Organic Furniture


HOME PROFILE GALLERY

My goal and great joy is to produce furniture and turned pieces of a very individual nature, matching the unique beauty, strength and character of the wood to the specific need and taste of the customer. So, the timber I use is rich in colour, texture and grain and it is my job to bring out the qualities - both dramatic and subtle - to serve the material with integrity, the customer with honesty and both with respect.
Natural woodland provides its own inspiration. Bucklebury Common, a delightful piece of woodland is near to my workshop, and there have been numerous other artists in furniture for whom I have the highest admiration. These include the late Tim Stead, George Nakashima, Sam Maloof, Michael Fairfax and Adrian McCurdy to name but a few.
I design and make bespoke turned boxes, segmented bowls, and platters using a combination of different woods and turning methods and effects. Watching the wood spin exceedingly fast never ceases to enthrall me and inspires me to push the creative process ever onwards and upwards. I have been a turner for the last three years, and have found inspiration through a number of turners including; Fred Paulin, Peter Welch, David Philpot, David Appleby, Richard Stock and Steve Giles. I have exhibited my work regularly at the West Berkshire and Hampshire Open Studios.



My distinctive organic furniture has been exhibited extensively in galleries including South Hill Park in Bracknell, The Arts Workshop in Newbury, The Childe Beale Arts Centre in Theale, and The Grizedale Sculpture Park in the lake District. I have also had an extensive range of furniture exhibited at Liberty of Regent Street in London.
The processes involved in my furniture making are meticulous. I work with an extensive collection of woods including Oak, Ash, Cherry, Beech, Walnut, Mahogany and Rosewood. All of this wood has been stacked and spaced for two years and then kiln dried to 7% moisture content (down from 30% which is its natural moisture content). This ensures that there is no movement once the furniture is in its final location. The specific shaping of the wood very largely depends on the grain inherent within the wood's patterning. It is then crafted into a beautiful piece of bespoke furniture and 10 coats of Danish Oil (a combination of Linseed oil and tongue oil), are then applied, after which it is polished to a fine sheen.



Beautiful organic furniture is the main-stay of my business, but my love for dramatic arts has also inspired some dramatic installations on a far grander scale. For example, I have designed and built stages for two extremely ambitious community plays in Newbury. In 1984 "Martyrs" was a project that involved 400 players enacting the trial and burning of 4 religious martyrs in the 16th century. In 1986 there was an even more ambitious play, "Speargrass" for which I built a castle, within which the audience and actors witnessed the unfolding of a siege. Other public projects have included building a number of tortuous machinations for Sir Peter de Savary for his Jacobean house (Littlecote House - now a Warner Hotel). I have also designed and built seating furniture for the Woodland Trust, and 'sensory' seating for Priors Court (a school for Autistic children).
My workshop is situated between Newbury and Reading, and I reside in Newbury.