Len Turner

Born 1949, England, emigrated to Hobart in Tasmania, Australia in 1952

Len has studios / workshops in Hobart and Fig Tree Pocket in Queensland

Len Turner's work has been described by critics as;

· "boldly innovative”

· "an elegant, pure form".

· "Len Turner is a revelation"

· "his work demonstrates the creative intelligence which Tasmanian makers need if they are to use our very special timbers wisely"

· "Len Turner is to be congratulated for taking a tired entity and revitalizing it"

Len has developed a range of work that combine rare Tasmanian timbers with aluminium, automotive lacquers and stains in a stunning range of colours combining the power and beauty of the timber with an aesthetic of unfamiliar surfaces, desirable in its own right creating a completely unique object,

The work causes controversy and forces observers to look at the turned objects in a different way. The timber has become a part of the design, sharing importance equally with colour and form without dominating the object.

The work is no longer simply wood turning, in the traditional sense but shares some of the essences of ceramics and glass. The bowls are hand turned and finished with some designs having a stained exterior finished with a clear satin lacquer.

Other designs have a laser cut aluminium rims which are painted in a process that mimics the metallic finishes applied to automobiles.

The rims can be finished with a gloss or a satin or a matte top coat, depending on the timber that is the centerpiece of the object. The natural timber centre is hand turned to the design profile and the rim is glued to the centre with aircraft epoxy glues.