Sculptures by JMikk

Fisherman and a Shark

(sold)

Alternative Views

Tree: Black Cherry, Americus, GA
Height: 57 inches

The source for this sculpture came from Americus, GA.  When I arrived at the local Habitat for Humanity chapter there to spend several months, I found them about to hire an arborist to remove a dead black cherry tree in their parking lot.  I offered to remove the tree if I could salvage one particular log for a sculpture.  The log I was interested in was the part of the tree where a large branch had died and decayed into the main trunk, leading to the subsequent decline of the tree.

When I cut the tree down I indeed found that the trunk was completely rotted inside.  As often happens with my sculpting, I have only a vague notion of the final form of the sculpture, just enough to begin the chain-sawing process.  In this case my initial idea for the form was flower-like at the opening of the decayed branch and stem-like from the main trunk, much like a jack-in-the-pulpit.  I made long, parallel cuts on the sound wood surrounding the decay to show off the quarter-sawn grain and left bark on one natural edge and a hint of the decay on the other edge.  These features remain in the final sculpture in spite of the significant change in the overall form.  Fortunately I left extra wood on the top of that "slat" for some later, and as it turns out, critical inspiration.

After the rotted wood was cleared away from the opening of the side trunk, the interior surface was very angular and pointed and looked like an open mouth with teeth, more like a "shark" than a flower.  The region below the "mouth" looked too bulky and needed some negative space so I made some strategic cuts in the sound wood that enhanced the natural flow of the wood grain and retained some indication of decay (note the dark patch in the front near the base).

Finally, with my decision to go with the "shark" I left the as-rough-cut top of the "slab" to represent the bearded "face" of a fisherman, with a small polished spot that could be imagined an eye.  "Fisherman and a Shark" is a far cry from a flower, but that is what evolved.  The most important thing I want the viewer to take away is not the title but the remarkable natural beauty produced by this black cherry tree that had been destined to be lost forever in a landfill.