I’ve been hinting about something big in the works for months, now it’s official. A design book tentatively titled “Divide and Conquer” is in the wings co-written by none other than Jim Tolpin and yours truly. It’s an honor to have Chris Schwarz at Lost Art Press share our vision for an artisan’s design guide, there’s not a more passionate champion of the craft. I’m sure he’ll drive Jim and I like sled dogs to write not just a good book but a great one. It’s also humbling to collaborate with Jim. He brings a lifetime of building knowledge and writing experience to this project. Our plan is to couple design theory with woodshop practice, every idea and concept illustrated with shavings and sawdust, an artisans guide through and through. You might like to know how the three of us came together to hatch this book.
I looked out at the packed auditorium and felt a big knot in my gut. Scheduled to deliver the Friday night keynote address at the 2009 WIA (Woodworking In America) conference in Chicago, it suddenly dawned on me this was a big crowd. That dumb inner voice that’s best ignored, started tossing out random thoughts, “DO NOT trip and fall down… Look, some of these guys have saws and sharp objects tucked under their arms…Please, please old laptop don’t crash now… Can I pull this presentation off doing shadow puppets?”
I took deep breath and reminded myself that if the message is solid it doesn’t matter if the messenger is flawed. Everything went great, how could it not? This was a room full of woodworkers eager to learn about design. They chuckled at my story about falling down the grand staircase in the Library of Congress. I could sense the group warming to the idea of a regular woodworker allowing curiosity to lead him where it might go. Off to my right I spied several guys scribbling notes, always a good sign. No one appeared to be nodding off with the occasional neck snap.
Then I spied Chris Schwarz waving his skinny arm,seeking permission to drop a stink bomb, “So George, seems you intentionally omitted any reference to the most holy Golden Ratio in your lecture tonight, what gives?”
That dumb voice in my head chimed in again. “Here’s the part where they start heaving tomatoes and cabbages.”
The guys with notebooks paused to look straight at me. I’m sure everyone was waiting for a polished sexy answer. The truth is that pre-industrial artisans had well documented simple (i.e. quicker) methods that didn’t include the golden mean. It’s not in the historic literature of the trades, and doesn’t get along with other children on the playground. Note: I’ve learned since then, that no amount of evidence or argument can sway the true believers. Luckily I didn’t come off brash enough to cause the faithful to reach for their sidearms.
Another hand shot up from someone I later learned was Jim Tolpin. I can’t recall what Jim asked, but I do know I didn’t have an answer. It was the kind of question I love, just not in front of 250 people. Jim stuck around after the session and peppered me with more questions I couldn’t answer, things I’d wondered to myself. I vowed then and there to attend Jim’s session the next day.
Saturday I broke free and slipped into the back of one of Tolpin’s design classes. He demonstrated how he designs using the proportions from his body as a template to organize a form. Makes perfect sense; we build beds, and chairs to conform to our frames, yet Jim was going beyond using standard measurements to guide the height of a table. I watched him use his two outstretched hands like a yardstick to lay out proportions on a simple footstool design. Instantly I knew the reason behind those pointed questions the night before. I’d been exploring and teaching about the ancient proportional methods, whose roots can be traced back to the ideal human form, and Jim was using his own body as a form to guide his imagination. We were both rediscovering a timeless ancestral design code long lost to today’s artisan.
That was the start of a friendship and two years of discussions, questions, trading books, articles, pictures, ideas, and sketches. Slowly a larger picture emerged of a design language seamlessly linked to the traditional tools, methods, and natural materials of the pre-industrial artisan. Not a collection of prescriptive instructions but rather a body of first principles that enables an artisan to compose music in wood. Also, a bonus we had not counted on, this design journey is a path of self discovery as it awakens the inner ability to visualize more clearly and work more intuitively. Ideas flow naturally from mind to hand at the workbench.
It was only a matter of time till we asked the question. Should we write a book and share this? Both Jim and I agree that this knowledge will be a game changer for the post industrial artisan. The link that re-connects the crafts scattered parts. This design language marries the time-tested tools and joinery into something far greater.
Luckily Chris Schwarz agreed that this is a book that needs written. So for the coming year Jim and I will be pouring over historical engravings, digging out gold nuggets, and refining each concept at the workbench. Our goal always is to equip you with that ability to create your own music with wood.
One final note. I have a weekend design workshop at the Port Townsend School of Woodworking Aug 26th-28th. Actually it’s capping a week working with Jim on our manuscript. My plan is to pour this out on a group of unsuspecting woodworkers and gather some valuable feedback on the best ways to present material. If you would like to play a role in helping “Design And Conquer” come to life, consider signing up. There are still a few slots left.
Jim and I have lots to do, time to get back to work!
George R. Walker
Design Matters 
George,
I was there when Schwarz asked the question. It was electrifying, until you spoke and addressed it quite adroitly. I also attended Tolpin’s session, which was an eye opener, and it all made sense when I put *your* presentation together with his.
I don’t know if you remember, but I have videos on my blog, of the you presentation, and also Tolpin’s. I am going to review them both right now.
I can’t wait for this book – it will be a great resource to my generation, and for several more.
Thanks!
Al
I meant to say that you addressed it so well, NOT that everything was cool *until* you spoke. What a mis-step!!! 🙂
OK – I will say it was my fat fingers.
Al
Al,
Understand the fat fingers, appreciate your kind words.
George
I’m short on cash right now given I will be unemployed a week from now, but if I could get the book today, I would buy it.
I know just enough to know there is something essentially important to the craft in you are presenting, but not enough to apply it except in the most rudimentary of ways.
Luke,
Hope your situation improves soon, thanks for the encouraging words.
George
It will be a long wait, George. Perhaps another design video in the meantime, to keep us in good company.
Don,
It’ll be worth the wait, as to another video, that’s a distinct possibility. More on that a bit down the road.
George
Are you taking preorders yet, because I just read two posts about this book and I am already sold. Finally a design book for the anarchists.
If I do that then you’ll be driving us like sled dogs also. Will let you know when we are taking pre-orders.
George
George, this is fantastic news. I attended one of your sessions at Woodworking in America last year, and it alone was worth the price of admission. It was also a pleasure to meet you and chat with you in person during the event. I’ve since looked for good resources that discuss design, and was only able to find either dry and modern text books, or books that discussed period design focusing mainly on the “what”, and not the “why and how”. I will be first in line to buy this book when it comes off the presses.
I was also at both those talk in Chicago. Looking forward to the book.
So bummed I can’t make it to your workshop – it is EXACTLY the kind of thing I have been looking for. Unfortunately, I am down in coastal Oregon and the timing of it is terrible. I really hope you offer more in the future, I will make the drive if I can!
I’ve been trying to figure out this proportion ratio thing for a long time. The golden ratio appealed to me from a logical perspective (I graduated from a formal machinist’s apprenticeship in ’81, and left the trade eight years later), but something always seemed wrong about appyling it to an actual object. Tolpin’s early work (Working At Woodworking, Measure Twice, Cut Once) and Seth Stem’s book showed me that there was something behind the curtain. You are ripping the curtain down with your magazine column and blog. You and JT working on this project …thank you. I’ll pre pay as soon as you’ll let me.
All,
Thanks much for your encouragement. Both Jim and I are excited about sharing this and perhaps a bit selfishly, fueled by the insights we are gaining daily as we dive deeper into this. Seems like every week we uncover something simple and elegant hidden in plain sight.
George
I’m looking forward to your book. When I read older books on design, there are frequent references to ratios, proportions and classical design resources. When looking at examples of early work, many items look ‘right’ to the unaided eye. I’m not saying that only classical design is right, just that these folks were on to something we’ve lost in the push to artiture and ‘being different’. What that something is, I’ll leave up to you guys as I’m not much of a designer!
If you think about it, how did cabinetmakers in far flung lands manage to come up with designs of similar proportions? Pattern books, design guides and a solid knowledge of geometry and drafting. At least that’s my guess at this point. Yours should be a valuable book!
Gary
As an earnest young fine printer in the 60s it was a common trope that book design from the early centuries was based on the Golden Ratio. The only fault with that was type on the standard page ended up looking quite odd, and with any other format it was totally wacky. So I learned that the best way to design was to look at the classic examples themselves, and then trust my eye. Now that was 2d design, and your approach to furniture based on an axis of use / materials / environment makes a lot of sense. So I’m excited to read about your upcoming book as well, but I’m sure others would agree with me in saying that not having an index (like in Jim’s last book) would be a terrible mistake. Often when I finish reading a book I want to go back and find certain sections again, and I rely on a well done index for that,. Its worth every extra penny that the publisher has to spend on that “extra” expense, and I don’t mind if he has to pass that on in the price of the book. Anyone finding this hard to swallow only has to try to find “gimlet bit” in Chris Schwarz’s new book.
I second Wesley’s recommendation of an Index. It’s an essential element of any educational or resource book. There are many Indexers out there who can do the job quickly and for a good price. It’s worth the extra step when producing a quality book.