Untitled (Vessel)

Using a chainsaw on large sections of trees, Werner creates pieces through direct carving: he works without a model and responds to the wood as he alters it. The rough chainsaw marks accentuate the juxtaposition between raw and finished, highlighting the natural beauty in the irregularities of wood. Though Werner’s pieces may evoke familiar utilitarian shapes like the vessel, he conceives of the forms as sculptural. Major influences include Isamu Noguchi’s and Constantin Brancusi’s Modernist sculptures, as well as carvings from Africa and Oceania.