Bowl, one of a pair

Robert Stocksdale was born in Warren, Indiana. He taught himself to turn wood, setting up his own shop in 1946 in Berkeley, California. Stocksdale became a master of form and let the material determine the shape, texture, and finish of each object in order to use the grain patterns to greatest advantage. His simple yet functional pieces, many inspired by Asian wood and ceramic vessels, helped define the field of contemporary woodturning.