in the gallery:

Bradley Messer

Knots are my key to the secret garden, my way down the rabbit hole and my foundation on which to build upon. Each piece of wood is different and therefore becomes a new friendly conversation. Sometimes the wood tells me what to do, sometimes I tell it, and sometimes we compromise and meet in the middle. My favorite pieces are when the conversation becomes deep and we both get to say everything we want to say to one another. This collaborative approach frees my imagination and provides many opportunities for the natural wood to influence the finished product. Recently I discovered some childhood drawings. They were simple, crayoned doodles featuring alien creatures that resonate deeply in my wood work today. Combining these childhood influences with found or recycled wood is the basis of my work today. Inspired and invigorated by the mystery of how creation occurs, I continue the search for the knottiest piece of wood in the world to wed and procreate with.

Bradley Royce "Medz" Messer was born in Tallahassee, FL in 1980 and has been living in Vancouver, BC since 2008. During his eight years in Portland from 2001-2008, termites took over and his appetite for wood became fiercer than an army of 1000 famished beavers. Art is his greatest love and they plan to marry in 2015 somewhere near Twin Peaks. Messer’s other hobbies include scrap booking fake smiles, going to the mall when he has to fart, and punching strangers just before jumping off the bus saying “tag your it!”