Chainsaw Newton

Uprooted 2022

Reclaimed logs

180 x 4000 x 4000 cm

$3,880

About the Work

Curious creatures indeed, slowly traversing the esplanade.

This work explores the idea of home and relocation through the artist’s chainsaw-carved gastropod forms.

Reminiscent of hermit crabs, these spiralled creatures seem to move across the landscape in a slow dance as they explore the world.

His choice of only using reclaimed and found wood continues his belief of giving materials a second life.

The artist states: “there’s a beauty in re-using things. The scars and imperfections speak of a history and a story. New is brief, old is forever.”

About the Artist

Chainsaw Newton is a chainsaw sculptor. His medium is specifically used, reclaimed or rescued logs and timber. “I won’t kill a tree for the sake of art, but if I find it already dead and left to rot, it’s coming home with me for a second chance.”

His work makes use of natural contours and shapes within the wood. The scars, knots and cracks are embraced as unique and form part of the narrative. They tell a story about experiences and the history of a life lived.

The native timbers he uses are ethically sourced from his area and speak of the diversity of the Tweed Caldera and Border ranges. Recent events have written their own chapters in the story of the artist too.

March 2022 saw his hometown of Chinderah, Northern NSW, devastated by the major flooding of the Tweed River. The following month, a serous car collision landed him in hospital with a spinal fracture and lengthy recovery.