Is it still carving if done by machine tools?

[Lee in Texas]

Just wondering if I'm on the right site. I'm making masters for a model project using basswood. Most of the work is being done with a planer, table saw, band saw, and router table. (All of these belong to a friend).

There will be some hand carving and a lot of hand sanding. Just kind of curious if what I'm working on is considered carving.

[Dan S]

It's a good question. Some would argure that what you're doing is wood shaping. As for me I would say that it's carving. Many carvers use various pieces of power equipment to remove inconvenient wood. I'm in that group. If you think about it, Michaengelo would have used power equipment had it been available to him.

Dan

[ragiarn]

According to Websters dictionary the word carve has the following meaning
**************
carve Pronunciation: \ˈkärv\ Function:verb Inflected Form(s):carved;
carv·ing

Etymology:Middle English kerven, from Old English ceorfan; akin to Old High German kerban to notch, Greek graphein to scratch, write

Date:before 12th century

transitive verb
1 : to cut with care or precision <carved fretwork>
2 : to make or get by or as if by cutting —often used with out<carve out a career>
3 : to cut into pieces or slices <carved the turkey>

intransitive verb
1 : to cut up and serve meat
2 : to work as a sculptor or engraver
********************************

While some purists would argue that carving implies only the use of a knife or chisels, the above definition does not imply the use of any specific tool to achieve the desired result.

Recently I visited the Smithsonian Museum of Fine art and Yesterday the Boston Museum of Fine art in order to see first hand some of the sculptures done by artists from around the world and from the ancient Greeks to modern times. While I admired the works, at no time was I concerned about the tools used to make those sculptures.

In my opinion it is the end result that counts and not how it was achieved. When I start a project I have a piece of wood and an idea of what I want the final work to look like. I will use any and every tool in my shop to achieve the final result. Rarely does any one ask me which tools I used.

[Curtscarving]

Lee-I start with block of basswood,size depends on project. Put on pattern,cut with band saw,take off excess wood with Foredom,then carve. I say it is hand carved. That is no different from someone buying a rough out and saying they carved it!
Curt

[Doug Ridley]

Is it still painting if you use an airbrush or a spray can?

[Lee in Texas]

Hey thanks guys.

[AlArchie]

I'm going to throw in an opinion here........maybe not correct, but my opinion, none the less.

Seems like we are in an age of "transition". Things are not necessarily done in a traditional manner, but they still get done.

We "type" on electronic keyboards with spell checkers.

We "compose" on computers with electronically generated insturments.

We "machine" metal with CNC accuracy........no longer a manual skill or art, but one of mental agility..

We take "photographs" with digital cameras and digitally edit them in Photo Shop or the like. My dad was a professional photographer and I remember him doing the vignetting, focus manipulation of the optical printer, manual correction of errors in the negatives and hand tinting of portrits.

Physicians and surgeons use data bases and electronically controlled "robots" for everthing from diagnostics to performing surgery.

Automotive, air frame and diesel mechanics use electronic diagnostic and measuring tools to assess and repair damaged equipment.

Artists of all genre have turned to the computer for research, design and production.

In all of these areas new skills, knowledge and tools are required to perform "traditional" tasks, but the BASIC traditional skills are still the underpinning of each of these areas of expertise.

I suppose we have come to a point when carving must be defined as traditional and non-traditional. I'm not quite sure where I stand on the new CNC carving machines.......after all they still take the artistic impetus of the artist to create the design and program that into the computer, but the manual manipulative efforts have been completely eliminated. Hmmmmmmmmm.

Al

[Dan C]

Oooooooh Kay! Maybe this thread is different, but it seems basically the same to me as the thread:

Off topic/Does "hand carved" imply hand tools?

That thread was started on 7-14-06 and the last post (so far) was on 3-27-09, with a total of 245 posts so far. So its been going on close to 3 years. (I have no problem with that)

Just an observation!

Dan C.

[Sharon of the Dell]

When my dad was a young man,(late 1940s) he was staying with his sister and her husband.Dad was helping brother in law Ed fall trees. Ed was using a big hand saw made for that purpose. My dad had apparently just purchased a chainsaw.It took Ed awhile to fall a tree with his saw.It took my dad a few minutes with his saw.Ed took his saw and threw it into the brush.Ed bought a chainsaw after that. It was all considered tree falling, just a better, newer,less back breaking way to do it with the chain saw.Now chainsaws are the accepted way to fall trees.

[schizoidlogger]

Progress and do the best work that you can. Most carvers now use what ever tool yields the best results ie: power carve/block out and finish with hand tools for crisp detail.

The big advantage of using power is that the carver can make any type of wood into whatever he/she wants - cross grain and tearing is not a problem. Power enhances the boundaries of the art and takes nothing away.