A Moment of Craftsmanship with Bill Bancroft
[Episode 9] Bill Bancroft has been called the “chef of wood” which is a weird and wonderful way to think of him. In this episode he talks with us about his passion for his art of furniture making. He admits he’s matured in his craft over the years. It was especially interesting to hear him discuss the balance between utility and expression in his art.
Furniture design, in most cases, is functional but there is also an aspect of creativity to it. When furniture design no longer possesses any functionality, it becomes sculpture. And while we are fans of the plastic arts, what struck us is the discipline Bill has developed to balance his personal artistic expression with the functional aspects of his chosen medium.
Can it still be called a chair if you cannot sit in it?
His journey to find and keep that balance has been a life-long endeavor. That applies to us all in different ways, aren’t we are all trying to find that balance between what we need and what we want.
You’re never too old to learn something new. We hope you enjoy hearing Bill’s story.
Episode Book Pairing
Each episode the The Gray Matters podcast is paired with a book that complements the episode’s subject matter. Here is Bill’s suggestion, we hope you enjoy it.
The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworkers Reflections
by George Nakashima
On a farmlike compound near New Hope, Pennsylvania, George Nakashima, his family, and fellow wood-workers create exquisite furniture from richly grained, rare timber. Tables, desks, chairs, and cabinets from this simple workshop grace the homes and mansions and executive boardrooms of people who prize such excellence. In this lavishly illustrated volume, George Nakashima allows us in intimate look at his artistry, his philosophy, his life. It is the portrait of an artisan who strives to find the ideal use for each plank in order to “create an object of utility to man and, if nature smiles, an object of lasting beauty.”
The author’s search for the meaning of life took him as a young man to Paris, Tokyo, and Pondicherry, India. In India, he found the inner peace for which he had been searching and began to find ways to work with timber. He writes movingly about the grandeur of ancient trees and stunning figured woods and explains how he selects and prepares his materials. Above all, he impresses us with his devotion to discovering the inherent beauty of wood so that noble trees might have a second life as furniture. The Soul of a Tree looks at the world through the eyes of an artist and evokes the joy of living in harmony with nature.
Get your copy of The Soul of a Tree: A Master Woodworkers Reflections directly from the George Nakashima Woodworkers website.
About Bill Bancroft
Bill Bancroft has been making furniture and architectural millwork around Boston for over 25 years. Bill graduated from Brown University and received an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.
In addition to being a maker/artisan Bill teaches as an adjunct at the Wentworth Institute Of Technology in the Industrial Design Department. Industrial design at WIT focuses primarily on product design and offers an extensive approach to design development and realization. Bill has also been a guest critic and lecturer at various schools around the Northeast.
