Twist and Turn

The revelation of the second look.

David Belser now has something to show for his work. As a software engineer he is not able to show off the beauty of an elegant algorithm, but as an artist working with wood, beauty reveals itself in three dimensions.

Each piece begs a walk around, as wood and negative space are in a state of flux, changing relationship with the viewing angle. Light and shadow become part of the media. The “vase” shown here is a recent work created by gluing together strips of wood and then setting the entire assemblage in wax to hold it steady while he “turns” the shape on a lathe.

Belser started turning bowls and toy tops for production work but now focuses on unique pieces for exhibitions and collectors.

He had great success with a cryptex box inspired by Dan Brown’s “DaVinci Code” in 2007. More recent locking boxes involve an homage to bank safe gears and the fanciful knob of a combination lock – all intriguing in their function and beauty.

Belser, from Penacook, won Best of Show in the Living with Crafts exhibition last year at the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Sunapee Fair for a collaborative work with glass artists Harry and Wendy Besett. He was also named an Emerging Artist by the American Association of Wood Turners in 2010. Currently, he is president of Granite State Woodturners, part of the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers.

– Susan Laughlin