For an aesthetic to develop, a vocabulary for it is necessary in order
for artists / artisans to share concepts / ideas and techniques

For single axis wood turnings, the aesthetics - and vocabulary - were
already there - created by potters who “threw” pieces on a potter’s
wheel long before the advent of the lathe and wood turning tools. The
mediums and methods are different, but the resulting shapes and forms,
along with their proportions were basically the same.

For turning, we play with three fundamental components - beads, coves
and grooves ( concave or convex curves and intersecting straight lines)
- to create the profile of a single axis symetric piece - with round
cross sections.

The profile of a single axis piece turned to round cross sections is
predictable, Turn it about its axis - and the profile remains constant.
There’s no need to think about the profile we see - because we already
have a mental model of what single axis symetric things are - some idea
of how they’re created - and a set of mental criteria for what looks
good and what doesn’t. The look of the wood may change - but the
profile remains constant - no surprises - no “Wait a Minute. The
Profile Changed! HUH!?” - no conscious thinking is required to
interpret what we are seeing before deciding if we like a piece or
not.

There’s a vocabulary to describe single axis, round cross section,
thrown or turned shapes / forms (profile, shoulder, neck, foot, lift,
transitions, fair curves, balance, etc.) as well as a set of accepted
proportions - for plates, bowls and hollow forms. Spindle turning has
basically the same vocabulary though the “rules” for proportions are
less defined.

Multi axis and eccentric turning is just beginning to develop it’s own
vocabulary - and Barbara Dill’s Multi Axis Papers, DVD, demos,
presentations and multi axis turnings just may be the foundation for the
aesthetic that will develop for multi axis turned pieces.

www.tinyurl.com.3kavwbe