Steven Brown

Steven Brown’s Recliner, the large redwood piece featured in the 2008 Sculpture Exhibit in the plaza, is fast becoming a favorite for those young and old who love to interact with it. Steven’s wish is that the piece will hold the viewers’ interest from any side long enough for them to find their own favorite vantage point. Viewers seem to be quickly establishing that favorite vantage point – in more ways than one: the rich tones of the wood invite the viewer to reach out and touch - or more … indeed, some have been unable to resist the suggestion of the title.

The piece, weighing in at about 1500 lbs, was the most difficult of all the exhibits to situate, given its weight, heft, and need to be placed under the shade structure to weather the Cloverdale summer sun. Now firmly in-place for the summer, the viewers’ obvious enjoyment suggests it was well-worth the logistical challenge.

Steven Brown carved Recliner from an old growth redwood stump in 2006. He told us his designs are suggested to him by the stump, and he explained his process as follows: “Normally, I will look at a rough stump until the sculptural possibilities become apparent to me. The direction I take is suggested to me as I carve into the core and respond to the grain, rather than imposing a particular shape to conform to my idea”.  He went on to elaborate “after considering the sculptural potential of a redwood stump, root or burl, I begin by roughing out the form with a chainsaw, then use sanders, rasps and chisels to finish.  I follow the lead of the natural grain and structure – normally it’s a process of simplifying to the core. The pieces are finished with spar varnish or log oil to seal against the elements, and to hold the color of the redwood. On some pieces I use furniture glides on the underside so they’re easier to move on a floor or deck”.