John Shaw: Why, not how

Words: Linda Nathan
First published in Australian Wood Review, issue 49, December 2005

Many woodworkers and furniture makers, especially those whose creative lives were born in the 1970s and 80s, can pinpoint the start of their commitment to woodworking from the time of reading one of James Krenov’s books.

Krenov is as well known for his writings as he is for the things he made from wood and the craft ethic which he expounded. His way of working wood is a process of self discovery which is engendered by the relationship of the maker to the material, respect and reverence forming the catalyst for an ensuing dedication to developing finely tuned hand and eye skills. ‘He writes about the why rather than the how of woodworking’, says former student and still-admirer John Shaw, 47, a furniture designer/maker who lives, works and teaches in Nelson, New Zealand.

Vidar chair in ash

John was 18 years old when he had his ‘awakening’ to woodwork even though the inclination was there much earlier. Around the time he could have most used a mentor he couldn’t find one in New Zealand, so he sought some instruction in the UK. John Makepeace’s Parnham School was his first choice but he couldn’t afford the fees. Rycotewood College in Oxford, on the other hand, was affordable and turned out to be the highly satisfactory solution to his needs. ‘The teachers at Rycotewood were obscure but skilled people, superb teachers. Classic mentors, the opposite of gurus—but very, very good woodworkers. Everyone did the same things and everyone learnt and it wasn’t about favourites; it was very egalitarian—it was very good’, says John.

Returning to New Zealand the 70s craft revival was in full swing. Arts Council funding paid for the air tickets of visiting wood luminaries such as Art Carpenter, Alan Peters and, significantly for John, James Krenov, to conduct a week of workshops. John recalls how Krenov took him aside one day and said ‘“Look, I want you to have this”, and pulled out a wooden plane and gave it to me. “Would you be interested in coming to California to study with me?” I guess I was gobsmacked. This was a person I had idealised even though I hadn’t met him until then.’

Hall table in Andaman padauk with ebony detailing. John based his design on a Chinese altar he saw in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Anointed by the master and now the owner of a Krenov plane, John had trouble containing his excitement making the trip back home in the Kombi with the mattress in the back. The invitation was too good to refuse and winning an American exchange Fulbright scholarship made it financially possible for him to travel to the USA in 1984 for a year of study.

Learning from Krenov was not just about hand skills, physical detailing and the language of woodwork, but about developing the mindset which allows a maker to develop his or her work. ‘It’s the detailing—the arrangement of materials and patterns, of components, how you deal with edges—do you just sand them round, do you use them to emphasise something, to direct the eye in a certain direction—what are you going to do with those sorts of things and how deep are you thinking about these things? I suppose in a way that’s what Krenov was about, the depth of thinking which went into the design process, going right through to the details.’

Edinburgh chair in American cherry

Teachers can enable learning but ultimately students need to establish their own identity. John explains: ‘In a learning environment that is established to facilitate fine woodworking, you’ve got aesthetic support and the opportunity to develop fine skills. Those opportunities often come with an associated aesthetic (as Krenov’s school did) but once you have gained confidence from being in that environment you’ve got to move on and become your own person.’

So is he an artist or a craftsperson? ‘If people call me an artist that’s fine, but I think of myself deep down as a craftsperson—that’s what motivates me, the material and the use of the material. I love creating new forms, I love creating special objects for people: is that a craftsperson’s role or an artist’s role?’

After working and studying in the UK and the US, John went home and taught furniture design and making part-time at Nelson Polytechnic (the equivalent of TAFE in Australia), continuing his private practice on the other days. A change in course structure coincided with his desire to spend more time at the bench, so he left the polytechnic and worked full-time at his own enterprise.

John has now returned to teaching, establishing the Centre for Fine Woodworking in Nelson, an area he readily promotes as offering great natural beauty coupled with lifestyle and cultural attractions.

Learn more www.johnshawfurnituremaker.co.nz

Photos: Daniel Allen

First published in Australian Wood Review, issue 49, December 2005