Leo Lichtman wrote:

This is a real insight, that I cannot recall seeing discussed before.

It's something that comes up in discussions of design over in
rec.woodworking, tucked away between long threads on Which
Table Saw To Buy and How Do You ...

James Krenov and George Nakashima are the poster boys
for this approach to design. Sam Maloof's "you just want
to run your hand over every inch of this thing" rocking
chairs is of the same No Place To Hide school

I'd
like to add another thought. The complexity of a piece may be a way of
covering mistakes--

but it can also be used to minimize or eliminate the visual
distraction of a pin knot , sap pocket or some other flaw
in the wood.

it may also be a way of distracting the viewer from
seeing that it is a poor design.

Or worse yet, take a promising design and vear off into
Look What I Can Do.

A simple pen drawing can often say more
than a complexly done oil painting.

I think oriental brush painting, sumie for example,
illustrates this nicely. Most of what the viewer
sees isn't provided by the artist, but merely implied.
Most of what you see isn't there - but in here (tapping
his temple). Haiku does the same thing - but with
words.

None of Vivaldi's compositions is as
beautiful to me as "Amazing Grace." Less is more.

Amen.
================================

and Lobby Dosser responded

Much of the adornment on furniture is there precisely to cover joints - ill
fitting or otherwise - and to cover for wood movement.

Chinese furniture makers seemed to have gotten around those
issues - without all the molding and froo-froo that appears in
"western" furniture. BUT - that requires some tricky to make
joints that don't lend themselves to The Industrial Revolution
approach to things.

Same thing on a
larger scale with houses and molding.

Again - it ain't necessary. The Japanese temple builders
found ways to do things without molding and trim. If they
include decorative elements they do so for decroative purposes
only - not to hide anything.

======================================

Tom Nie wrote:

snip

And Malcolm Tibbetts? Well, buddy, you're looking at a lot more than "Look
what I can do" since he has such a talent at creating awesome visual impact
beyond just the technical craftsman. Arch might call him an "artist". I
certainly would. Just go to the thumbnails and look at Tolerance; and Just
Imagine; or in another direction Mobius Sonata; and we can go on.

To clarify - Mr. Tibbetts'is the antithesis of Look What I Can Do. He
does
what he does because that's what it takes to convey what's in his head
-
and apparently - in his heart. His ability to be able to see his
vision
with enough clarity to allow it to become a reality, with all the
things
that must be done to do so, is astounding. And with all of that, it
doesn't
seem to be an ego driven thing - not a Look At What I Can Do thing,
but
rather a This Is What I See and Now You Can Too.

There are people who can transcend normal human experiences. Some,
musicians for example, can take anyone with them for the ride Yo Yo
Ma does it all the time. Mr. Tibbett does it with wood - and ideas.
Just Imagine.

==============================

and Bill N added

there is another MAJOR trap specifically for turners - "Thin is Good"
- so if I can turn a transparent 1/6 inch walled 18 inch diameter
vessel that is great. WRONG - it turns out that I can do that, and
that I did it, but the result is only of interest to other turners
-the form is too light, the transparency is not helpful to the shape,
and it is therefore not a success - the same form with a bit more mass
would have been better. So, thin is a sign that you have mastered a
particular technical skill, it is not a sign of a good design.

I think this one falls under The Because I Can.Trap - when
technique over rides everything else. Turning thin walls
serves a purpose - to minimize the amount of wood expansion
and contraction. Beyond some functional minimum, thinner
can work against the piece.

my 2 cents

You're a master of the understatement

bill

========================================

Tom Nie wrote:

snip

And Malcolm Tibbetts? Well, buddy, you're looking at a lot more than "Look
what I can do" since he has such a talent at creating awesome visual impact
beyond just the technical craftsman. Arch might call him an "artist". I
certainly would. Just go to the thumbnails and look at Tolerance; and Just
Imagine; or in another direction Mobius Sonata; and we can go on.

To clarify - Mr. Tibbetts'is the antithesis of Look What I Can Do. He
does
what he does because that's what it takes to convey what's in his head
-
and apparently - in his heart. His ability to be able to see his
vision
with enough clarity to allow it to become a reality, with all the
things
that must be done to do so, is astounding. And with all of that, it
doesn't
seem to be an ego driven thing - not a Look At What I Can Do thing,
but
rather a This Is What I See and Now You Can Too.

There are people who can transcend normal human experiences. Some,
musicians for example, can take anyone with them for the ride Yo Yo
Ma does it all the time. Mr. Tibbett does it with wood - and ideas.
Just Imagine.

==================================

Now what about "textures" and spirals, natural edges and
perfect balls?

charlie b