Robert George

South Northamptonshire

Woodturner

©Robert George

The shape within

Robert is a classically trained arborist
A chainsaw was his first tool of choice
The work he produces is made from wood he fells himself

Robert George, a classically trained arborist and a self-taught craftsman, opened his first studio in Northamptonshire in 2015. There, surrounded by an inspiring landscape, “after years of handling wood in its rawest and possibly most beautiful form”, he started creating his first object: a large oak dining table. Today he makes very large scale and complex objects on the lathe, creating fine walled vessels and pieces that challenge the aesthetic associated with wood. Particularly fond of woodturning, Robert is always “keen to push the limit of what you can express using this technique.” With his work he pushes the boundaries of what can be achieved with standard tools and felled trees.

Where

Interview

©Robert George

©Robert George

From arborist to craftsman, how easy was this transition?: I think the shift has been a natural progression. Handling the raw material in such a physical way each day gives a deep and meaningful connection, sparks curiosity at its most primal level and has led me on a creative journey.
What is your aim when you start designing a piece?: The inspiration often comes directly from the tree as a material. I can look at a piece of timber and see the work that already exists inside. My aim is then a case of revealing it.
Does working as an arborist give you a unique relationship with wood?: Quite literally, the work I produce is part of the landscape I produce it in. I first started forming wood into shapes and sculptures using nothing but a chainsaw, out in nature. Now I have a workshop but all of my work still uses timber either I or a colleague of mine have cut.
How do you combine tradition and innovation?: Tradition is expressed in the hard physical labour, the hands-on nature of gathering the raw material and the working of the wood using hand tools on a lathe. Innovation, on the other hand, comes in how these components come together to make a new form.

Robert George is a rising star: he began his career in 2018