.. L.....!...................!!!!................!.................................R . Grayson Enterprises Ltd. ##June Grayson 1984 page 1 First North American Serial Rights Approximately 1,800 words PHILLIP ODDEN : AMERICAN ARTIST MASTER WOODCARVER IN THE NORWEGIAN TRADITION by June Grayson "......® iî pursuiô oæ theiò past¬ Americaî collectoró havå madå folë arô thå biggest thing going in the Eighties." "Becauså wå arå remindeä oæ sagaó oæ olä Anä arå                             prouä oæ thå lanä wå forsook¬ Caî iô bå thaô thå                             blooä oæ thå Vikingó stilì flowó Iî ouò veinó likå á                             still-running brook?" - Franklin Petersen, Norwegian-American poet, 1900* Aî Americaî Vikinç ió alivå anä welì anä workinç iî Barronett¬ Wisconsin¬ populatioî 150® Therå - iî á one-story¬ tin-roofeä workshoð thirtù feeô froí thå pavemenô oæ Highwaù 6³ - Phillið Oddeî carveó onå oæ á kinä heirloomó owneä anä treasure#,so far, by people of forty states and ten countries. Likå hió famouó Norwegiaî ancestors¬ Oddeî ió aî outdoorsman¬ worlä trave ler, adventurer, and tradesman. But most of all he is an artist and his medium Š is wood. *The Promise of America: A History of the Norwegian Americaî Peoplå bù Odä S® Lovoll¬ pagå 8¬ Universitù                            oæ Minnesota Press .PA Š .. L......!..........................................................................R Grayson page 2 Fe÷ countrieó havå á richeò traditioî oæ the#rô oæ woodcarvinç thaî Norway® Thå Vikingó starteä iô all¬ learninç their!woodcarvinï skilló oî theiò tradinç forayó intï Irelanä aó faò bacë aó 90° A.D® Irisè carveró eveî transmitteä thå carvinç skilló oæ thå ancienô Greeks¬ stilì considereä thå consummatå artisanó iî thå field¬ becauså Irelanä haä tradeä witè thå easterî Mediterraneaî countrieó sincå before 1,000 B.C. Thå powerfuì heatheî arô oæ thå Vikingó - witè thå arroganô dragoî headó - decorateä thå intriguinç "Stave¢ churches¬ á wooä constructioî peculiaò tï Norwaù abouô 1,30° A.D® Aó Norwaù graduallù becamå Christianized¬ thå carveró addeä thå Christiaî cross¬ grapevine¬ acanthuó leaf¬ anä symboliã lionó anä eagleó broughô homå bù thå Crusaders® Á craftsmaî coulä combinå alì oæ thå ancienô motifs¬ eveî after the original meanin# had been forgotten. Becauså wooä waó thå dominanô materiaì iî Norwaù anä becauså thå interioró oæ homeó anä churcheó werå dií mosô oæ thå yeaò iî thå lonç winteró oæ thå north¬ thå olä Norsemeî continueä tï builä anä carvå iî wood¬ eveî wheî woodcarvinç waó replaced by stone and metal work in other European countries. Also¬ becauså Norwegianó existeä iî isolateä mountaiî valleyó oî thå north wesô fringå oæ Europe¬ theù werå noô mucè affecteä bù thå Industriaì Revolutioî thaô swepô througè thå resô oæ Europå iî thå Eighteentè century® Iô waó noô unusuaì foò severaì generationó tï uså thå samå houså anä furnishings® Anä sï thå ancient skills and traditions of Norway survive to this day. Ho÷ Oddeî camå tï bå á parô oæ thå 1,00° yeaò olä traditioî coulä bå thå ploô oæ onå oæ thå olä Scandinaviaî sagaó wherå thå herï slayó thå dragoî anä winó the maiden. Odden doesn't slay dragons - he carves them But he did win Š .PA Š .. L.!.....!.........................................................................R Grayson . page 3 the beautiful maiden, even though he had to go to Norway to meet her. Phillið diä noô plaî tï bå á woodcarveò eveî thougè hió motheò telló hií   thaô hå waó alwayó "makinç things¢ foò heò wheî hå waó á child® "É thoughô É   woulä bå á dairù farmer¬ likå mù father¬ buô É didn'ô thinë toï mucè oæ thå   eighteeî houò dayó hå workeä oî thå farm.¢ Evidently¬ hió fatheò didn'ô thinë toï   mucè oæ Phillip'ó zeal¬ either® Hå tolä Phiì tï finä á ninå tï fivå joâ - hå   wasn't cut out to be a farmer. Sï Oddeî studieä lanä uså managemenô iî college¬ hopinç tï bå á foresô   rangeò anä worë outdooró iî thå mountainó hå loved® Durinç whaô hå no÷ calló hió   "freå period"¬ hå trappeä animaló iî Montaná anä foughô foresô fireó iî Alaska¬   witè timå ouô foò Peacå Corpó assignmentó iî thå Phillipineó anä Nepal® Hå eveî   took up wood carving to pass the time. But his life lacked a focus. Iô waó noô untiì hå visiteä relativeó iî Norwaù iî 197¶ thaô hå founä whaô   hå waó lookinç foò - iî morå wayó thaî one® "É haä neveò seeî sï manù wonderfuì   woodcarvings® Anä wheî É meô thå maî whï diä them¬ É founä ouô thaô hå waó á   distanô cousiî anä aî instructoò iî woodcarving® É kne÷ the##® whaô É wanteä tï   do: I had to enroll in that s#hool and become a woodcarver too. Johaî Amrud¬ masteò woodcarver¬ taughô aô thå prestigiouó Hjerliä Tradå   School at Dovre, Gudbrandsdalen, Norway. Therå waó onå problem¬ howeverº Oddeî spokå onlù Englisè anä schooì waó   conducteä iî Norwegian® Fortunatelù foò him¬ thå classmatå assigneä tï thå worë   tablå nexô tï hió proveä tï bå verù helpful® Sï helpful¬ iî fact¬ thaô ,®   withiî á yeaò Phillið askeä Elså Bigtoî tï marrù him® Theù marrieä iî December¬   1978, in traditional Norwegian costume in Else's home town of Aalesund, Norway. Š .PA Š .. L!.....!.........................................................................R Grayson .page 4 Š Elså haä alreadù graduateä froí á Norwegiaî weavinç school® Anä no÷ theù  are both graduates of the two year course in woodworking and carving. .Teaching techniques were very autocratic and if an instructor did not approve of a student's work he would put his chisel through it. "I got tired of havinç mù carvingó destroyeä likå that,¢ saiä Else® Sï shå specializeä iî  cabinetmaking and Phil in woodcarving. Theù returneä tï Wisconsiî iî July¬ 1979¬ anä openeä theiò owî business¬  thå Norsë Wooä Works¬ righô acrosó thå streeô froí thå houså thaô Odden'ó  grandfather built when he came to America from Norway in 1890. Theù buù lumbeò froí locaì sa÷ mills¬ aiò drù iô foò use¬ anä selecô iô foò  graiî direction¬ uniformity¬ density¬ anä moisturå content® Basswood¬ birch¬  butternut¬ anä pinå arå thå fouò maiî woodó useä aô thå shop¬ sincå sofô woodó  arå easieò tï carve® Thå uså thå time-proveî Europeaî joininç tech£ niqueó  includinç thå mortiså anä tenon¬ dowel¬ anä handcuô dovetaiì joints¬ sï thaô thå  soliä wooä caî expanä oò contracô aó thå weatheò changes® Somå partó maù bå  laminateä iæ indicateä foò strengtè anä stability® Theù miø theiò owî wateò baså  stains and finishes of penetrating oils. Theù dra÷ theiò owî designó freå hanä oî paper¬ transfeò theí tï thå wood¬  anä carvå theí entirelù bù hanä usinç gougeó anä chiseló - sometimeó usinç 6°  differenô tooló foò ###ù onå design® Tï keeð alì thå tooló sharð ió demandinç oæ  itself® Tï achievå thå complicateä patternó requireó aî amazinç amounô oæ timå  and concentration. Masteò woodcarveró caî recognizå eacè other'ó work¬ eveî thougè iô ió noô  signed, because each carver's technique is as individual as a signature. .PA Š .. L!.....!.........................................................................R Grayson .page 5 Š Sometimes¬ Elså maù dï thå cabineô worë anä givå thå prepareä iteí tï Phiì  for carving. Or each one will make an entire project from beginning to end. Phillið specializeó iî thå Acanthuó style¬ donå iî thå Gudbrandsdaleî areá  of Norway. He also does the Medieval Viking and Rococo styles. Phillið anä Elså continuå thå traditioî oæ thå "Kubbå Stol"® Thió waó thå  onlù chaiò founä iî thå Norwegiaî peasanô homå anä waó reserveä foò thå heaä oæ  thå household® Á romantiã symboì oæ thå a#cienô peasanô tradition¬ thå Kubbå  Stoì ió madå froí á singlå treå log¬ holloweä ouô sï thaô thå baså oæ thå chaiò  ió á cylindeò forí anä thå bacë continueó upwarä tï forí á snuç anä comfortablå  curve® Thå seaô maù bå hingeä tï exposå storagå spacå iî thå bottoí oæ thå  chair® Eacè chaiò ió uniquå anä ió embellisheä witè thå Baroquå Acanthuó leaæ  pattern or the Medieval Viking style with dragons and Stave chur#hes. Sï thaô morå peoplå maù owî theiò work¬ theù havå produceä á modestly  priced¬ limited-editioî Christmaó platå foò thå lasô fouò years¬ witè thå  inscription Julen and the year. Everù Thanksgivinç weekend¬ theù sweeð uð thå worë roomó anä holä theiò  annual open house on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Sometimeó theù misó somå oæ theiò creations¬ sï theù havå starteä theiò owî  familù custo#£ theù plaî somethinç speciaì tï makå anä givå tï eacè otheò foò  Christmas® Lasô yeaò theù madå á Baroquå stylå sofá foò theiò livinç room® Thå  previouó yeaò theù madå á fouò posteò kingsizå beä witè á menacinç dragoî heaä oî  toð oæ eacè posô anä Medievaì dragoî motifó carveä oî thå heaä anä fooô boards®  These furnish their home on a nearby lake. Everù yeaò oò sï theù returî tï Norwaù foò inspiratioî anä guidancå froí  their teachers in Norway's woodcarving Guild. "It is easier for a young wood- Š.PA Š .. L......!..........................................................................R #rayson page 6 carveò iî á Europeaî country,¢ sayó Phil¬ "becauså thå Guildó havå existeä foò hundredó oæ years® Theù providå structurå sï thaô thå youngeò memberó caî improvå anä gaiî recognition.¢ Phillið alsï assistó aspirinç Americaî carveró bù teachinç á one-week woodcarving course every year. Phillið achieveä recognitioî iî thå Uniteä Stateó bù earninç toð honoró aô thå firsô annuaì Norwegiaî carvinç competitioî aô thå "Vesterheim"¬ (Norwegiaî foò "Ouò Homå iî thå West")¬ thå Norwegian-Americaî Museuí aô Decorah¬ Iowa® Hå woî thå onlù bluå anä reä ribbonó awardeä tï thå 3µ carveró whï competed® Hå haó earneä thå eighô pointó necessarù tï bå nameä thå firsô Americaî golä medalisô iî carving® No÷ hå caî nï longeò competå buô hå caî stilì exhibiô hió worë aô thå Museum'ó annuaì Nordiã Fest® Oveò 70,00° peoplå attendeä lasô summer® Perhapó aó mucè aó anù ethniã grouð iî thå Uniteä States¬ thå Norwegianó encouragå thå continuation of the traditions of their mother country. "Wå arå luckù tï bå ablå tï worë wheî iô ió acceptablå foò peoplå tï remembeò theiò roots,¢ sayó Odden® Indeed¬ iî pursuiô oæ theiò past¬ Americaî collectoró havå madå folë arô thå biggesô thinç goinç iî thå Eighties® Theù realizå thaô ethniã arô ió wortè preservinç anä thaô iô ió uniquelù suiteä foò thå present American life style. Thió reflectó thå changinç theorieó oæ ho÷ immigrantó arå integrateä intï Americaî society® Forgeô thå olä meltinç poô theroù - ethniã pluralisí stilì sur vives® Thinë ratheò oæ Americá aó á gianô tapestry.º thå hopeó anä talentó thaô theså world-widå citizenó brinç tï theiò ne÷ homå arå woveî tï makå thå fabriã oæ American life - yet each thread retains its own color. Š No÷ onlù 3³ yearó old¬ Oddeî stilì haó goals® "Mù teacheró saù iô takeó twenty years to make a woodcarver. So far I've only been at it ten years. I .PA Š .. L......!.......................................................................R Grayson page 7 want to find out what I can do in another ten years." Phiì wearó á slightlù frayeä bandagå arounä hió righô wrisô tï easå thå paiî whicè maù develoð afteò hå haó beeî carvinç foò fivå oò siø hours® Iî f#ct¬ tendonitió ió aî occupationaì hazarä foò carvers¬ sometimeó endinç theiò careers® "Mù teacheò ió stilì carvinç aô 6µ - anä thaô ió whaô É wanô tï bå doing when I am 65." Growing, evolving, and creating as an artist. "Thå onlù thinç É misó froí mù 'freå period',¢ sayó Odden¬ "ió thå mountains.¢ Otheró mighô saù thaô hå ió alreadù livinç thå gooä lifå oæ whicè mosô o###£ Americaî meî caî onlù dream® Wisconsiî statå forestó surrounä Barronett® "É hunô everù fall® Iî winteò wå cross-countrù ski® Thå lasô fouò yearó É raî thå Americaî Birkebeineò cross-countrù ské racå froí Haywarä tï Telemark, Wisconsin, 32 miles. And I get to fish every month of the year." Thió ió wheî Elså catcheó uð oî heò owî hobbieó oæ knitting¬ weaving¬ knife-making, and reading. Througè theiò carving¬ Elså anä Phillið contributå theiò owî brighô strands to the colorful fabric of American life. ######### .PA Š