New in the Studio - Dark Star

This sculptural work by Phil Seder brings together the organic complexity of maple burl with the precision of forged metal and carved marine forms. The richly textured burl, alive with knots and whorls, evokes the rugged surface of a coastal rock formation revealed by the tide. Its natural undulations host an assemblage of sea life—starfish, shells, and urchin spines—each rendered in copper, walnut, and other materials that echo the tones and tactile qualities of the wood itself.

Rooted on a walnut base, the piece balances weight and delicacy, stillness and movement. The contrast between the burnished metal and the warm, swirling grain of the burl suggests a dialogue between the enduring and the ephemeral—between nature’s own sculptural forms and the artist’s hand. In this merging of materials, Seder transforms a raw fragment of wood into a vivid meditation on life at the ocean’s edge.