Dogwoods over Gravel Bar

With years of experience as a furniture maker, Michael Bauermeister turned to sculpture with a deep sensitivity to his materials, not only their physical properties and characteristic grains, but also their place in the greater ecosystem. Michael Bauermeister recovers his raw materials from a lumber recycler in St. Louis that collects downed trees that normally end up in a landfill or incinerated. Finished with homemade lacquer, and intricate textures and finishes, his wall-hanging bas relief works evoke natural settings through indirection.