Snowbird by John Buck

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View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload (PPT) View Large Image Figure ViewerDownload (PPT)John Buck was born in 1946. A native of Ames, IA, he currently coresides in Bozeman, MT, and Hawaii, HI. Buck received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute and School of Design, Kansas City, MO, in 1968; attended the Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting in Skowhegan, ME, in 1971; and received his MFA from the University of California, Davis, in 1972.1http://johnbuckart.com/resume.htmGoogle Scholar Buck's genres of art include printmaking and sculpture. His favored media are wood assemblage and bronze. Buck has taught at universities throughout the United States and at the Gloucestershire College of Art and Design, Cheltenham, UK. His experience as a printmaker clearly influences his artwork, as seen in the detail and precision of the assembled woodworks. In 1983, Buck forged a long running collaboration with Bud Shark, a Master printmaker, who's company produces artwork in close partnership with artists at every step of their artistic process.2http://www.artknowledgenews.com/Master_Printer_Bud_Shark.htmlGoogle Scholar, 3http://sharksink.com/artists.asp?artists=4Google Scholar Snowbird, a wall installment (48 × 144 × 5 in),4http://www.johnbuckart.com/Commissions.htmGoogle Scholar is made of carved wood and acrylic. Although it is clearly the product of assemblage, the geometric designs and lattice-like carvings are reminiscent of traditional Scandinavian spoon carving or Nordic and alpine décor; the blond wood color conveys a winter's day feeling. The magic of winter is intimately captured by the carved snow globe on the right-hand side of Snowbird. Additionally, Snowbird exudes the feeling of a window box display or a specimen tray from a nature hike, with the gathered discoveries pinned in place. This lends shadow and depth to the overall impression. Snowbird was the gift of the Edward F. Anixter Family Foundation in memory of Edith Anixter. It is located on the north wall of the 18th floor of the Gonda Building in Rochester, MN.