There is a spareness to
Brian Hubel's work that puts it right in the range of the Modern style influenced, for one example, by
George Nakashima. Like Nakashima, Hubel has a few tables with tops made of burl and left in their original shape. He also has incredible pieces like this two-seater bench, called Flare, that has a spare design to get out of the way of the beautiful wood. This piece, with its thick sides and floating seats, seems to get its balance from traditional Japanese designs, which certainly influenced Nakashima and even the Arts & Crafts movement. Ornamentation on a piece like this, even if it were some kind of stylized edging, would be silly and distracting. The elemental shapes, combined with the rich wood, are all that is necessary.
Another example of restraint for the purpose of letting the elemental forms and beautiful wood speak for themselves is this clock. The craftsmanship here and in the rest of Hubel’s work is quite impressive.
Enjoy more of Brian Hubel’s work at
www.hubelhi.com. Photos are by Don Jones Photography.
