I want to sit down to some critiques every now and then.  I want to talk about the work of David Flood, a “sculptor’” from Massachusetts.

I use “sculptor” in the connotation of quotations because David is more of a seeker than a sculptor.  These pieces of worn wood are reflections of mother natures accidents rather than an artists ambitions.  He does use vegetable or mineral oil to bring out desirable attributes however again it is not the whims of the artist that matters most here. However, as it were, there are moments where you can see that the artist has manipulated the wood.  Others, are completely natural.  It is those ‘others’ that make me uncomfortable.  It is as simple as seeking a worn street sign or a decaying piece of road kill.
That being said, I think it is obvious that the seeker element of David is right on point.  His eye for natural beauty is one that is keen on artistic spirituality.   Whereas I dislike the word ‘artist’ being associated with the word ’seeker’, it matters not.  Regardless of what chisel work goes into a piece it is only a subtle manipulation of what nature has made.  And this is OK.
I applaud Davids finds and alterations.  I believe them to be absolutely worthwhile and simply gorgeous to look at.  After taking the time to review his collection and seeing his work in person in the past, I cannot help but associate his work with that of sculptor Isamu Noguchi.  It is of a far different medium and spiritual overtone but it is in fact spiritual.  A naturalist, pacifist take on fine art.  However, I am always weary on giving too much praise to an individual largely seeking beautiful objects.  Whereas they are in fact beautiful, they are often not the work of the artist.