Incollect Magazine Issue 7

126 www.incollect.com “I came to love wood early having crawled around in the sawdust of my great grandfather's workshop, absorbing the texture and smell of pine shavings,” says Martin Zelonky, today a master craftsman and furniture maker. “When I was twenty I studied fine cabinet making and modeling for two years at the University of Wisconsin. Upon graduation, I then taught vocational cabinet making in Chicago.” Zelonky was all set for a stellar career — family background, formal training, practical work experience, but his woodworking journey was interrupted for nearly 40 years while he pursued other interests. “I’ve spent the past 6 years, pretty much full time getting back into it,” he says, “and accepting and producing commissions from designers, architects and individuals. I work out of my studio in Connecticut where a variety of local woods are plentiful, including maple, walnut, sycamore and birch.” “I work alone,” he says. “I try to let the wood speak, I try to listen. Some days in the studio are better than others. I’ll determine a curve, an arch, or a particular joint and then figure out if I have the skill set capable of building it. If not, I’ll modify it. I’ll determine the tool or tools that I am most familiar with and that will enable me to cut, shape, and assemble it. I’ll spend hours finishing the piece, enabling the spalting, the grain, or the burl to become a feature.” One of his most famous and sought-after pieces today is the Whitney Bench. “The piece, which introduces my collection listed on Incollect.com, is one of my larger yet practical and most admired installations to date,” he says. The Whitney Bench sits in the lobby of a corporate office in Austin, Texas, as a part of a central seating area. “The fact that it is produced in part using AI software gives it a certain edginess” he explains. It also — on a more practical, commercial level — enables the shape and size to be modified to accommodate a client’s needs. Zelonky Studios Master craftsman Martin Zelonky works utilizing both traditional and contemporary methods. Some pieces are crafted entirely by hand, and others utilize CNC software, which allows customization of complicated designs. Clockwise from upper left: The hand-carved Whimsy Bench in spalted maple; side view of The Whitney showing the hollow core; the laminated Whitney, built using CNC software, was designed for large spaces such as entrance foyers, lobbies, or showrooms and has no front or back side, allowing limitless flexibility in placement.