Andrew Potocnik

"At high school, I met a teacher who encouraged creative use of wood, setting convention aside in order to encourage aspects that were radical at that time. He encouraged me to salvage and recycle wood, and even worse, he taught me to appreciate wood for its colour, smell, feel, grain and any other intrinsic quality it may have.

With an introduction like this, where else could I go, but continue to explore all those wonderful qualities every piece of wood conceals, just needing a sympathetic cut to expose it to those who see it as nothing more than a renewable resource, ready to be exploited, rather than appreciated!

Now, I gain enormous enjoyment from seeing how people from other cultures explore their wood, how they expose and celebrate its beauty, and how it’s integrated into their culture and general existence. 

As an artist, I continually find inspiration to explore new directions in creating objects from wood."

Potocnik's work is included in:

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, U.S.A.

Contemporary Museum of Hawaii, U.S.A.

Wustum Museum of Fine Arts, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, U.S.A.

The Center for Art in Wood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Racine Art Museum, Wisconsin, U.S.A.