Andreas Behn-Eschenburg/ I made a table

24.4.2018 0 Tykkää 0 kommenttia

When I was preparing my work for my Bachelors Degree show, now almost four years ago I worked on a little side project to keep me sane from all the degree show stress. I also wanted to use the schools workshop while I still could and ended up making a chess board ( Much more difficult then you think!).

Now building a table for my Masters degree show feels a bit similar. Making a table is a bit more justifiable then a chess board for a degree show (Duchamp might disagree). Or at least for me it seemed like an important element for my work. After seeing my Kuvan Kevät space for the first time I thought that it would be interesting to show some of my work differently and have something in the space rather then have my work only on the wall. It would give me the chance to place an object or a work loosely on the table without making it feeling too heavy. So I decided to build a table.I wanted a table that feels personal, something like a dinner table or desk at home with a bunch of stuff, that stays on it until there’s a better space. A place where things meet and accumulate. I also think there’s a different relationship to a work lying flat on a table then by looking at it on the wall. I also liked the idea that the viewer can walk around an object in the room. The table can act as a frame and become part of the language of the work.

I really enjoy working with wood. I never had any formal training in woodworking and I just learned by doing (everyone can do it). I wanted the table to be a solid piece that will last. I bought four planks of walnut. It is a very nice dark chocolaty wood.

I planed the planks to have them straight and glued the board together to make the surface plate. I was worried that the plate might bend with the time, which can easily happen so I had to reinforce the plate with two cross beams.

Nice thing is that a table is almost instantly fully functional as table while becoming a table.

The tricky part was to join the top plate and sides together. Because I wanted the sides and the top to be flush against each other I had to be extra precise and careful which i’m normally not. I ended up shaving half a millimetre on one side and a third of a milli on the other until it fit. During this whole time I was running between the wood workshop and my studio painting in the evenings. Nevertheless working on the table gave be a break and peace and put me in a different head space. Working on the table is very logical thinking and constant problem solving. I was happy to have that at the same time when painting would be a very different way of thinking and working.

After the sides and top were glued and sanded I worked on the drawer. There were a few more tricky moments with fitting the drawer and making sure it doesn’t get stuck when opening. Then more sanding and finally waxing and polishing. Voilà!

Kirjoittaja: Andreas Behn-Eschenburg
Student in Painting from Switzerland
In this blog he will show the steps and progress in preparing an exhibition for Kuvan Kevat and share his thoughts and expectations for the exhibition.

Asiasanat: #KuvanKevät #Kuvataide #Kuvataideakatemia