Incollect Magazine Issue 7

124 www.incollect.com “Wood has an incredibly enduring appeal for me, like a bountiful paint chart with never-ending variations in color and grain and beautiful imperfections that tell the story of the tree’s past,” says Jonathan Field who makes bespoke pieces of furniture from carefully selected timber. “Wood is such a flexible material that can be worked in so many ways: it can be carved, as in my Gallery Bench, or bent as in my Carol Chair, or just glued, as in table tops, and I can do all this in the smallest of studio workshops.” Field has just two people in his London studio, himself and Andy Gravelius, who joined him in 2013. “Together,” he says, “we have in-depth knowledge and a clear understanding of the processes with a profound respect for our craft.” Field’s elegant, handmade furniture begins with his selection of timbers. “When sourcing timber for projects, I like to buy several consecutive slabs from the same tree, mostly UK-grown. When turning each slab over in the timber yard it’s like turning the pages of a not-yet-seen artwork.” His influences are many, but if he had to choose, he says, it would be the American midcentury designers and makers. “I aim to make pieces with a timeless feel that over time and with use, will be complemented with a patina of age.” Field says his furniture is guided by an ethos, a philosophy of making for the present. “In my practice, I question the confines of the domestic and practical demands of furniture and interpret the human longing for a deeper connection to traditional crafts, contemporary aesthetics, and an engagement with natural materials,” he says. His work is shown at exhibitions and shows in the UK and abroad and by his gallery, Connaught Brown of London. Recent, signature pieces include a massive table in horse chestnut and a chest of drawers made of Scottish elm. Jonathan Field Johnathan Field explained his design for the Carol Chair, “I wanted to create a chair with a lightweight frame that has a generous width and depth of seat.” With a frame in American black walnut and a seat in English walnut, a sleek and open form, and extremely comfortable, this chair checks all the boxes. The design is also offered in stool height and can be created in different timbers. The Gallery Bench, designed to have a sculptural look and tactile feel, offers an alluring invitation to sit. A seemingly endless variety of wood tones and textures is reflected in the bands of American black walnut.