Martin Goebel

Martin Goebel, Furniture MFA 2010

Fusion Day Bed

 

Siberian Elm trees were introduced into the United States in the late 1800's.  In its indigenous Northern Asia the Siberian Elm is a small and slow growing tree due to the short growing season and poor soil quality.  When introduced into the favorable climate and nutrient rich soil of the central United States the trees flourished.  In the favorable climate the trees can reach diameters of 3 feet or greater and heights of 150 feet.  The root systems of these trees were never genetically intended to hold the stresses put on them by such mass above.  In the peak of summer while the tree is in full leaf, straight line winds which are precursors to Tornados reach speeds upwards of 60 miles an hour.  These winds catch the Siberian Elms like parachutes and pull them out of the ground leaving pristine tree trunks perfect for furniture.  Martin Goebel harvested the lumber from a tree in Saint Louis, Missouri, a tree that would have otherwise been split for firewood or ended up in a landfill. The piece is asymmetrical with an organic and a geometric side.  The raw form (in which all wood starts yet we rarely see) is highlighted rather than sawn off and cast aside.  Notice the grain patterns/selection as it transitions from free form to linear as the design transitions from organic to geometric.