AMERICAN WALNUT, SAM MALOOF POLY/OIL FINISH

Balancing practical function with a refined aesthetic, this piece explores the relationship between material and function of an object. Though delicate in appearance, this piece’s shape feels solid in that it resembles a single wood carving but is constructed of small linear parts, making up one continuous curved object.

The form is simple yet complex to build, as each rung needs to be custom-trimmed to fit the 8-degree slope of the ladder's sides. Five rungs were chosen so that the eye is drawn to the form of the middle rung rather than the negative space, enhancing the importance of the form itself.