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P R O F I L E | B R E N T C O M B E R
artists," he says. "The remaining wood
shavings are transported to a facility that
superheats the green waste and converts
it into compost for the landscape industry."
Fascinated by unprocessed wood,
Comber particularly likes the "cracks,
bark sinews, knots, and swirling or uneven
grain patterns," as he describes. "Indige-
nous wood talks about climate and place.
We use primarily offcuts or pieces of wood
that secondary industries don't use in the
usual manufacturing process."
For his latest project aptly named
"Connection" — which was commissioned
by CHIL Interior Design based in Vancou-
ver, for the ground lobby of high-end resi-
dential tower REN in Seattle — Comber
opted for yellow cedar. "It was chosen for
being a neutral-toned, fine-grained wood
that is locally sourced and very cooper-
ative to bend and twist into our desired
forms," he says.
The concept of the large sculpture is
derived from the practical application
of spruce root cording prior to the roots
being employed in lashing poles or
making baskets.
"The idea of lashing or connecting was
my hope of bringing people together
or perhaps people looking inward and
feeling they are connected to something
larger than themselves," says Comber. "I
like to take what nature provides us in a
natural form and to utilize her gift in a way
that could be employed in an artistic and
meaningful way."
https://www.brentcomber.com/
P H O T O S – T O P L E F T : J A S O N V A N B R U G G E N ; T O P R I G H T : D Y L A N P R I E S T ;
B O T T O M : I N T E R I O R D E S I G N B Y F A L K E N R E Y N O L D S / P H O T O B Y E M A P E T E R
54 DIGS.NET
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