Exerpt from Guide magazine, by Anne Newton
The premier wood craftsman in Costa Rica is undeniably Barry Biesanz and his mountain wood shop...
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 In Costa Rica, recycling can be a beautiful thing. Fallen trees from Costa Rica's farms and forests, for example, end up in the homes of presidents and royalty. When does this amazing transformation take place? When the wood goes under the magic lathe of Barry Biesanz.
Years ago, as a beginning craftsman, Biesanz concentrated on designing and creating "one-of-a-kind" pieces of furniture that took months of painstaking work before a chair ever graced a dining room or a table decked a salon. His products have since evolved into small decorative items that maintain the exacting standards of his furniture. These objets d'art demand the same design skills, but allow many to be produced in the same time it once took to create a single piece of furniture.
Today his bowls and boxes can be found in the collections of three US presidents, and assorted European royalty.
 Queen Sofia of Spain skipped lunch to shop for boxes on her last visit to this country. The Costa Rican ministry in charge of diplomatic gifts commissions Biesanz creations for presentation to visiting dignitaries, adding to his world-wide exposure. Presently, Biesanz is collaborating with a prestigious jeweler in Paris who has commissioned a special exhibition box for rings.
Influenced by the fluidity and grace of Japanese tea bowls, Biesanz is intrigued by the fact that these bowls never lose their integrity, although they are produced in huge quantities. It is this agelessness that he strives for in his own works, "not," he said, "to rely on market trends or name, but to be ageless." In a dream Biesanz came up with he thinks is a "coherent art philosophy" reflecting his own goals. Briefly he explained, "Edges should be rounded and asymmetrical, reflecting natural and mathematical orders. My objects must feel good in the hand and should be complete both inside and out. A good piece should, upon closer inspection, be better than originally perceived." Lofty ideals, but achievable? By all means, yes! When visitors to his Bello Horizonte factory an showroom touch Biesanz's artwork, their sigh of appreciation is audible. The glossy smoothness of a box lid or the swirls of the inner shell of a bowl are positively sensual. Holding a Biesanz creation to the light inspires a sense of wonder, as a translucent glow shines through the paper-thin wood. Grains are amplified, and swirls, knots, and marks left from fungi become beautiful abstract patterns.
Having mastered the sorcerer's art of turning a solid chunk of wood into a glowing, sheer medium, Biesanz is now turning his attention to giving the same allure to "thick." Playing on the "smooth and rough" elements in a raw wood, Biesanz magnifies these textures in the space allowed in thicker receptacles. New bowls in various stages of completion line his workshop shelves, as green wood is slowly transformed into finished things of beauty. The "thick" concept is, of course, the opposite from his trademark bowls, and should prove to be just as appealing, without losing any of the grace and delicacy we have come to expect in his work. Also on the drawing board is a design for an elegant desk organizer and a nesting set of finely crafted boxes, ending with a final, amazingly minuscule, lidded container.
All of Costa Rica's exotic woods are represented in Biesanz's work, but his favorites are the gnarly logs of fallen trees right in his own neighborhood. Local farmers sell their dead trees to Biesanz and have, through the years, become a reliable source for interesting pieces. Scavenged "road wood" also becomes a treasured part of the inventory.
Biesanz at work in his mountain workshop
Forest preservation is a major area of interest for both Biesanz and his wife, Sara, who mothers the nursery of saplings she offers free to anyone interested. I brought home a baby jicaro with visions of a grand tree laden with dramatic green gourds.
Skills and quality workmanship are hallmarks of the Biesanz shop. Twenty people are employed at the woodworking shop with three in the master craftsman category. An informal apprentice program is an ongoing part of the workshop project, with students coming for a several-month stretch. Aspiring artists begin, according to Biesanz, "with repetitive tasks until they are no longer asking question, the move to the next level."
Back when exporting was still just an idea to be explored, Barry and Sara would call on nearby galleries while visiting friends in the States. When traveling , they brought with them a collection of objets to show. This early effort at salesmanship has resulted in 25 percent of the Biesanz workshop's output filing export orders. an now that the paperfall of forms has been deciphered and mastered, and Stateside galleries are engaged, the export department is mushrooming. On a recent trip to a family reunion Biesanz made nine gallery calls and sold to all nine. Not a bad average!
Though his mountain home is still the primary showroom, there are now approximately 50 US galleries handling Barry Biesanz wooden objects. From east to west, US outlets of fine art are placing reorders and commissioning special pieces. Discerning collectors have discovered the beauty of crafted wood by Costa Rica's master woodworker.
Locally, Biesanz Woodworks can be found in most of Costa Rica's premier gift shops. Visitors are warmly welcomed to his Bello Horizonte studio between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m, six days a week. Evening appointments are gladly made with a phone call to 228-1811 (Country code (506) - dial (011) for international from the USA).Fax: 228-6184
|Reserva Ecologica Biesanz| |List of US Galleries| |Barry's bowls| |Barry| |Rainforest Sapling Giveaway| |Map to our showroom|
|Biesanz Home Page|
e-mail address: biesanz@sol.racsa.co.cr
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