The tension in the hall table is further accentuated by the arched feet ready to spring into a dance. The exquisite red cedar of the table surface is then balanced on six small wooden blocks that lift it as a sacred object towards the eye of the beholder. The cabinet takes this design element further by suspending its cedar top on four small points of brass that symbolise the tips of fingers raised in reverence holding the richness of the timber aloft.

Greg St John is a designer/maker of fine furniture. He has been with the ANU School of Art Wood Workshop since 1995. He has been teaching Visual Arts Access classes for 8 years and has been teaching Complementary Studies for 5 years. He has won prizes at several exhibitions during this period. Greg has also done some major commissions including the Cabinet of Curiosities now held in the Natural History Museum in London. His most recent commission was Sanctuary furniture for a large Holy Spirit Parish - St Clairs, Sydney which explored the theme of floating and suspended surfaces.

 

In our modern world the loss of large growth forests has created a challenge for the craft of fine wood working. Timber, specifically the Red Cedar incorporated into the top of this hall table and display cabinet, is a highly prized commodity that must be used wisely and with reverence. The design of the under frames uses a lightness and suspension in the construction that offers up to the observer the precious beauty of the timber. These pieces, designed for teaching therefore transmit to the students this philosophical tension as well as being a medium for modelling functionality and acquiring practical woodworking skills.

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