This is a John David original piece, from his collection (Oregon Past & Present) and is just a bit of why this piece is so highly prized in the art community.

This masterwork creates a profound geological dialogue by mounting a contemporary hand sculpted, highly figured Oregon Coast big leaf maple Burl atop a foundation of 15 million + year old Miocene period petrified bogwood.

This piece connects the base to the sculpture utilizing custom made hand forged metal rods made here in Oregon by a local blacksmith specifically for this project to look like a tree, with a bark like exterior, and a wider base was created to replicate how trees get wider at their base, as they begin to spread into roots.

The bogwood base you see here was created when multiple logs, branches, etc fell into a bog together, and became petrified) Of course we would like to believe that just one of those pieces could have been maple burl.

This piece serves as a timeless bridge between the living forest on the Oregon Coast, and the ancient landscape of its prehistoric past.

Artist Statement: I like to tell a story for each one of my pieces. But for my collection (Oregon Past & Present) specifically for these pieces I don’t do that, because I feel the untold historical story behind these pieces speaks volumes. My dad taught a lot of things in his teaching career, but history was his passion, and he transferred that to me and each student in a small school setting. That is why these pieces were created with a heavy emphasis put on their history, not on my little stories. I would like to think these pieces would make him proud. But who knows he always used to teach me to be creative, and him teaching me how to tell stories was a big part of my upbringing. Anyway stories, or no stories this collection was created to honor my dad, and all the things he taught me.

Artist: John David

Category: Sculpture

Year: 2024

Dimensions: Call for size

Signed: Artist signed, dated, makers mark

Inventory ID: #3131