RAM Collects: Wood Letter Openers by Norm Sartorius from Ronald and Kay Springwater

October 18, 2015 – February 7, 2016
at Racine Art Museum

Norm Sartorius
Letter Opener
Burmese blackwood
11 7/16 x 1½ x 1 inches
Racine Art Museum, Gift of Ronald and Kay Springwater
Photography: Jon Bolton, Racine

Spurred by an interest in investigating color, form, and texture, this nationally known wood artist has focused on “the character of the raw pieces of wood.” RAM Collects: Wood Letter Openers by Norm Sartorius from Ronald and Kay Springwater highlights a gift of 44 Sartorius letter openers.

While he began his professional career as a social worker, Norm Sartorius found his lifelong calling when he undertook a six-month apprenticeship with a woodworker. Early on, he created letter openers, canes, shoehorns, and spoons, which he sold at craft fairs. Over time Sartorius began to place more and more emphasis on nonfunctional spoons, which he regards as sculptures.

The artist draws inspiration directly from the various woods he uses to create carved spoons, functional letter openers, bracelets, and sculptures. He has stated of his process: “I have always started with the wood itself…the shaping of the piece has to do with the texture, grain, and figure of it—its special character. I’m kind of a wood collector, really.”

Sartorius’ use of rare woods, such as Haitian mahogany, Australian tulipwood, and Burmese blackwood, reflects his particular interests in the variety and possibility of the material itself. His engagement with wood—letting it “speak” to him—is sometimes regarded as romantic, yet he stresses that most of his time is spent in the actual manipulation of the material. Cutting, sanding, filing, and rubbing consume most of his working hours.

More About the Exhibition

Exhibition Notes (PDF)

Artists in the Exhibition

Norm Sartorius