Bud Latven

In 1982 Latven turned from furniture maker to wood turner, attracted by an unexplored medium that was open to exciting aesthetic interpretation and experimentation. The artist comments that 'Over time, I developed a sophisticated and sculptural element to my art, a deliberate move away from the simple vessel shape' . Latven constructs small angled pieces of wood segments, which are then built up into large constructions and turned on the lathe. He says 'the forms are solid when turned, but I later remove segments through eight different carving techniques.' The constructions are thus opened out at the bottom and sides, and the form develops through stunning rotated curves and conic sections. Latven is completely self taught, and now ranks as one of the most exciting and innovative turned wood artists in the US. His work is in major American collection, for example, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington; The Fine Art Museum of the South, Alabama; The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles; The High Museum of Art, Atlanta; and the Mint Museum of Craft + Design, Charlotte, NC.