Burton Isenstein

My current work is imagined while drawing/modeling on my computer using 3D modeling
software. This body of work begins with simple line drawings as I trace images of various
animal skeletons. Once the line drawings are initiated, I remove the images and continue
to draw intuitively, then flesh out the lines with 3 dimensional forms. The parameters of this process, milling the forms from solid blocks of hardwood, are built into each model. I must consider how the material (wood) will hold together as the surrounding material is carved away, the direction of the grain, and how the object will continue to be supported as the CNC mill is physically removing material.
When I worked with clay I carved the relatively soft material with my hands. I was intrigued by surfaces in the natural and human made world. The process I’ve developed working with the CNC mill allows me to carve the material deeply, the machine allows me to create
forms that would be impossible for me to make otherwise.
As the forms became more complex and the carving went deeper into the material,
the finished objects have become more and more fragile.
I’ve mounted many of the carved pieces and am displaying them behind glass so they are seen and protected, much the...