All Kiva Artists
Little Bird at Loretto
El Centro de Santa Fe
102 East Water Street
Santa Fe, NM 87501505-820-7413
505-820-7414 (fax)
info@kivaindianart.com
Kevin Fleming
Kevin Fleming is a native New Mexican, born and raised in Albuquerque, and currently works as an optical researcher at Sandia National Labs. His ancestry of European and Cherokee American Indian artists and lifelong exposure to Southwestern pottery and New Mexican natural rock formations has given Kevin the spark to integrate man-made shapes and nature into his designs. In addition to his optical science degree, Kevin also studied mechanical engineering, and was a journeyman machinist prior to college. This knowledge aids him in the structural designs of the technically complex Shadow Series vessels.
"My work at Sandia Labs deals with lasers and lots of paperwork. Woodturning is a great source of enjoyment, allowing for artistic expression and craftsmanship. I base my work on shapes and forms found in nature and mathematics. Being born and raised in New Mexico has exposed me to American Indian vessel designs and shapes which have had a definite impact on my work. I am constantly making mental notes of the beautiful flowing shapes found in nature, such as the natural weathering and shaping of rock formations, the symmetry in a Mountain Aster, or the wispy flowing shapes and textures formed by the matured flower of the Apache Plume, to name just a few.
In addition to the woodturning, I made many of my tools, which are sometimes required to cut unusual areas of the pot. I shape the vessel on the outside first, and then hollow it out as thin as possible without sacrificing the strength of the pot--- form is the most important aspect of the vessel. I won't cut down a healthy tree just for woodturning. Instead, I use wood from dead trees or trees being removed for landscaping. I also use exotic woods that are from certified managed forests, which works to protect and maintain a sustainable forest, where they remove old or dying trees without disturbing the delicate soil structure. Managed forestry imparts a tremendous value for the rain forest trees ($1000 each is common), which otherwise would be slash-and-burned to make way for cattle grazing or agriculture. There is a certain satisfaction in capturing the beauty in a piece of wood destined for the landfill or fireplace. To me, the "imperfections" in the wood make them more interesting ... like people."