Mel Turcanik, Maker of Things
The spirit of the work:
Life, we all have it. But do we ever really appreciate its
nature? It slips through our fingers without us really seeing
what is there moment by moment.
“You see, but you do not observe.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,
(Sherlock Holmes) A Scandal in Bohemia, 1892
As an artist, I feel I have the obligation to observe, interpret,
and present in such a way so that those who only see, can see
more. I believe that life has an inherent dignity, the
underlying nature of which is an eternal causal connection
with everything else.
I’m a maker of things. I make things because that is what
makes me feel alive. To take an object, piece of stuff, raw
material, and create something that has never existed, fulfills
me. The form may be familiar, the material common, the
concept obscure, but the underlying meaning is always
connection. Looking at wood as an example, I see another
unique life and I want to bring that out. The “defects,” marks,
and striations all tell about the struggles, injuries and triumphs
over adversity in the life of that tree. As I transform the tree, I
hope others will be able to connect with us and appreciate that
eternal connection. So it is with other materials as well,
though the past life may be more obscure, it must be there or it
could not exist in its present form now.
How it’s done:
Sometimes I purchase new materials but, most of my creative
ventures begin with something I’ve found, saved, or salvaged.
When I have an idea I wish to express, I go through my bins,
stacks, piles, drawers of stuff, as a painter goes through his
tubes of paint and I create a pallet of material, texture, color
that I can then manipulate, form, or assemble to create the
final object.
What it is:
My work varies from the practical, functional object to the
purely conceptual creation. But even a simple wooden bowl
can reveal the connections of a family that grew up playing in
the branches of the tree that eventually became the bowl that
holds a memento of one who has passed. Pieces of past lives in
the form of common objects, combine to form my vision of
what is yet to be. But in the end, it is the observer and their
connection that determines what it is, and why.
About me:
I’ve had several career paths, many jobs, degrees in health care
and business and eventually discovered that what I really liked
to do was to make things, create. During the process of
learning how to do that I was told that I was an artist. I’m
what they call “self taught.” What that means is that I’ve
attended workshops on all manner of art and craft as well as
reading just about anything I can get my hands on regarding
the creative process and techniques, learning from everyone.
I’ve been involved with local art organizations and exhibitions:
Minnesota Woodturners Association, Past president
Zumbro Valley Woodturners, Past president
SEMVA, Past treasurer
Mantorville Theatre Company, Past board member, set
builder
Minnesota Woodworkers Guild Northern Wood Exhibition-
Best Handwork 1999
Southeast Minnesota Art Exhibition at Rochester Art
Center
Korean Fine Arts Association in Siheung, “The Exchange
Exhibition of Fine Artists from Rochester MN, USA
and more…..
