Peculiar Creature
If you've ever really paid attention to a tree branch, perhaps the limb of an old, gnarled, moss-covered apple tree, bedecked with lichen, and twisted with age, you'll realize just how much color and character is imbued in wood. It is a living thing that even when removed from its parent is still a vibrant entity.
Wood carver Norm Sartorius is a deep, abiding lover of the medium. He makes "non-functional" spoons, which really is a way of saying he makes sculptures that incorporates the original elements of the material into their forms. Whether completely sculpting and polishing the piece, or leaving raw knobs and branches as part of its integral design, Norm finds a way of keeping the essence of the wood present.
The use of a spoon as his chosen form stems from a desire to keep the object relatable, a spiritual pun of sorts. By keeping them on the boundary between recognizable and abstract, Norm seeks to provide an object that both gives rise to curiosity, while also being a strange source of comfort. His exquisite pieces are successful on both counts.