Christopher Kurtz

Description

A cairn is a marker assembled from individual stones and given meaning through use and shared understanding. It may indicate a trail, a burial site, a summit, or simply evidence of passage. Its significance lies not in any single stone, but in the relationships formed between them. The Cairn Side Tables recast this ancient language of stacking in carved wood. Built from contrasting species, each element retains its own identity while contributing to a larger whole. Like the cairns that inspired them, these sculptures propose that meaning emerges through assembly—that relationships between parts can become more significant than the parts themselves. Like cairns found in the landscape, these works function as markers. Over time they become fixed points within daily life, gathering memories, rituals, and associations until their meaning extends well beyond their physical form.