Robin Wilson
Robin Wilson, an artisan with a background in fine art and a successful career in architectural cabinetry, has seamlessly transitioned into the world of fine furniture. Combining his artistic sensibilities with his expertise in cabinetry, Robin's work embodies a unique blend of known design language and his own distinctive sense of shape. His creations exude a playful quality, often infused with what he calls the "mischief factor."
Drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences, Robin approaches his artistic process with a lightheartedness that allows him to explore unconventional forms and experiment with unexpected combinations. His designs effortlessly blend elements of familiarity with his undeniable artistic vision, resulting in pieces that are both visually captivating and thought-provoking.
Background
Robin Wilson, originally from Sonoma, CA, nurtured aspirations of becoming an artist through drawing, painting, and sculpting.
Fine furniture was always intertwined with Robin's life, stemming from his family's ownership of Wilson and Sons, a custom cabinet and furniture shop. This connection originated from his father's attendance at the Krenov School in the late 1980s.
Starting his career in commercial woodwork alongside his father in the San Francisco Bay Area, Robin initially felt a disparity between commercial work and his artistic goals. However, as he delved deeper into woodworking, he discovered a new outlet for creative expression.
Taking a marquetry class at the Krenov School, Robin embraced woodworking as an artistic pursuit. Enrolling full-time for two years, he has since established himself in Fort Bragg, CA, where he creates both commissioned and speculative pieces in his own woodshop.
“I try to humor myself in whatever flourishes seem interesting—to let the piece be impressive and inspiring and loud, while I get the shapes, proportions and flavor figured out. Then I begin to boil the design down.”
Tell us more about your work space. For the last three years I’ve been renting a space at the Cypress Street Barn in Fort Bragg. A fantastic shared shop run by two alumni of the Krenov School, which acts as a sort of catchment system for students who graduate but haven’t had enough of Fort Bragg. The energy is good and the tools are perfect for fine work, and I feel very enabled here to indulge in fine woodworking as much as I can.
What kind of work do you normally do? Typically I’m working on commissions and there are specific parameters which narrow down my options for design. But when I have the luxury of making a spec piece, I will usually start with a general idea, sketch it a few different times, exploring freely and letting the design become overcomplicated. I try to humor myself in whatever flourishes seem interesting—to let the piece be impressive and inspiring and loud, while I get the shapes, proportions and flavor figured out. And mock it up if it’s relatively complicated. With these elements the ‘spirit’ of the piece emerges. Then I begin to boil the design down, simplifying in every way I can think of while still preserving that spirit, and of course the purpose of the object. Usually I try to get rid of all the extraneous flamboyant aspects to let the wood grain and form have more voice.
Do you have a favorite wood? My favorite wood has always been claro walnut, because of the color and figure and more importantly the workability. I have always said, while many woods will fight you, walnut is always trying to be your friend.
Least favorite? Bay laurel and possibly wenge. For the same reason I love walnut so much, bay laurel and wenge are not trying to be friends with the woodworker. They are arrogant, stubborn and malicious woods, which delight in punishing the user.
Any side hustles or hobbies? Hobbies include the aforementioned acrylic painting, which keeps the flowing, impulsive art portion of my brain active and provides a counterbalance to the planning and measuring—fussy meticulous busywork inherent to even the most free forms of woodworking. As a side hustle I also build a lot of custom shaped plywood ‘canvases’ for an artist friend, whose work requires geometric and organic shapes that would be difficult to achieve with the traditional canvas stretching methods.
What inspires you? I get a lot of aesthetic inspiration from other people’s work, furniture, art or otherwise. I’ve also identified a main component of design that keeps me going through my own projects, which I refer to as the ‘Mischief Factor’. Basically, if there is an element of impudent surprise, some quality of defiance baked into a piece, that will keep my interest running strong through the inevitable sagging portion of the process. The best example of a strong Mischief Factor I’ve ever seen was a small scale Trebuchet, a kind of elaborate catapult, made for launching pumpkins. Lovingly constructed by some acquaintances in New Hampshire. This thing had no business existing in the modern world, but the gleeful satisfaction in setting it off and watching a pumpkin get hurled far into the distance was so palpable and inspiring that it justified itself completely. I hope, in the right setting, to make furniture that inspires a small fraction of that glee.
