I came across Morgan Herrin‘s work on Colossal this morning and felt the need to share his work because of the detailed etching, striking imagery, and the transformation of humble material into beautiful sculptures. Herrin’s statement explains the reason behind his choice of material as well as methodology:

The evidence of my labor gives value to the material, which is otherwise cheap and disposable. Recycled, construction-grade lumber reflects our society’s preference for cheap, fast, and impermanent. My sculptures are hand-carved, a process that takes hundreds of work-hours and utilizes hand tools that have been almost completely phased out by modern machines. These two aspects combine to create a dialogue about time and the contrast between the past and the present.
I immerse myself in the subject matter of my work. Often, several very different forms combine to create one physical object. My process is ultimately a result of the combination of my fascination with figurative sculpture of the past and obsessive research into a subject. I reference the passage of time and its effect on art in terms of both physical change and change in viewer perception.

Learn more about Herrin’s work at ADA Gallery, and Mulherin + Pollard. Images via ADA Gallery.