Alan Hollar, Woodturner. Biographical Info

Born and raised in Western North Carolina, Alan has spent the last 22 years in Crossnore, NC with his wife Eva, and son, Theron. He began turning to make repair parts for restoring furniture, and over the years, made the transition to turning and sculpting wood, full-time, thus neatly combining profession and passion since 1997. He is a member of the Southern Highland Craft Guild and Piedmont Craftsmen, as well as the American Association of Woodturners and is an honorary lifetime member of The Carolina Mountain Woodturners. He gives frequent demonstrations for both woodturners and the public, and teaches at his studio near Grandfather Mountain, as well as occasionally at John Campbell Folk School and Arrowmont School for Craft.

Conversations in Wood

Woodturning and carving allow the most intimate relationship with my materials. I aim to use technique to reveal and enhance what is hidden beneath the bark.

Alan Hollar has been turning wood on the lathe since 1986. He is self taught, being introduced to the medium when he needed to make replacement parts as a furniture restorer.

"I saw a photo of a bowl in a magazine and thought it was pretty cool, it seemed to have the potential for fun in it. The lathe was also the only woodworking application that no one else in my family did (all were involved in the furniture industry), so there was no one's work to aspire to, and no intimidation!"

"Turning wood is different from all the other forms of woodworking, similar to playing a musical instrument. You put in hours of practice, days and years learning the craft; the certain sound of the cut, the way the shavings look, observing profile. All to internalize the techniques so that you can produce pieces 'without thinking'."

"Turning wood is also similar to language in that you have a vocabulary: the more that you use it the more comfortable you become, the more facile. You also become more creative and more expressive within the parameters of the medium."

"I look for an elegance of line and form as these works happen, curves that transition sensibly and smoothly, sometimes including textures that complement or contrast a rugged rim or burl surface. My work is an intuitive process which is informed by years of experience at the lathe. However, some wood remains around the studio for many months as I walk by it and ideas germinate."

Contact Michael McDunn Gallery. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you for your interest in Alan Hollar.

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Michael McDunn Gallery
741 Rutherford Road
Greenville, SC 29609
Phone 864 242-0311
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10am-6pm Tue-Fri,
11am-4pm Saturdays

Directions from Downtown Greenville, take North Main until it ends at Rutherford Road. Studio is located at the intersection of North Main Street and Rutherford Road.

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