DACMan

This amazing project is near and dear to my heart and home. It is an unseen thread of David Alan Collection that is woven into the warp and weft of our lives.

My wife, Amita, has devoted her life over the past 4 years to creating and improving a school in Old Delhi, India. She pursued this project with the same passion and commitment that I did with DAC. We share a commitment and passion for each others current life work. Coming from a Ph.D. background in Molecular Biology, Amita applies principles of hard work, unbiased observation, and delayed gratification, to the development of the school and the children who attend and thrive there. The traditional method of rote memorization education in India has a record of continued failure in extremely poor communities, which is the majority of schools. Amita, along with the staff and administrators, is gradually making this school into a Montessori school, which gives access to a brilliant education for kids who would have otherwise been neglected and relegated to having a life of poverty similar to that of their parents. These are children would have been used and discarded, instead of being valued and productive.

The children work quietly, intent on their individual projects, learning at their own paces with no need for discipline. This is in sharp contrast to rigid system of enforcement and fear seen in most schools. The gift of this program is seeing kids loving to learn, every hour, every day, pleading to stay after class to learn more.

There are now 140 children in the school, from nursery to 5th grade. Tuition averages $90 a year per child, which includes uniforms, materials, and some medical care. This covers about one quarter of the actual cost to run the school. The balance comes from contributions from people in America. The school desperately needs supplies, scholarships and money to outfit additional space. We now have a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) corporation, available to us under the auspices of a Congressional District Program for tax deducible donations. We created “Ignite: A Foundation for Learning” to support this school and future projects in India and Bali. Alpha Public School has Non Government Organization status in India.

Amita raises money for the school in part by teaching four-session, Indian Vegetarian cooking classes for small groups in our home and other locations. They are fun and interactive.  Participants will go home from each class with a full meal under their belt, the ability to prepare exquisite dishes, insights into Indian culture, and the knowledge that they contributed to the education of these deserving children.

http://www.igniteafl.org

Some of the most beautiful village implements are those used in the courtyard of a family compound for grinding of corn, soybeans, or pounding of rice.  The spiral teak gears of Thailand and ironwood notched gears of Indonesia are poetry in action and sculpture at rest.  They gain beauty from use and wear, and eventually from disuse, as the elements of nature start to wear away their features.

The corn grinders are made of a thick, sculpted, teak tray that catches the ground corn, and a pair of small hard stone discs that grind the kernels into meal.  These trays, when discarded, weather as only teak can, and become sculpture a contemporary artist would be proud of having carved. The stone discs have a balance and beauty all their own.

Rice mortars, appearing in thousands shapes and sizes, are my favorites.  All the mortars saw a life of daily use, and have been left to the erosion of sun, wind, and rain, which enhanced their hand-carved beauty.  The small mortars make exquisite planters, indoors or out, or they can be used as the legs of coffee tables, as visitors to the Collection will see.  Medium-size mortars work as sculpture stands or end tables, if one adds a glass disc on top. They also serve as stools with cushions.  Large mortars make stunning indoor or outdoor dining table pedestals, end tables, or free-standing sculpture.

All the mortars have a special quality and good energy that comes only from tools used in the preparation of food.  They bring warmth, beauty, texture, sculptural beauty, and the richness of village life to any environment.

I find myself more and more attracted to folk instruments of Asia and the “Islands,” especially the drums. As a kid (and this hasn’t changed much) I couldn’t dance because I couldn’t hear the beat of the music. Imagine doing the waltz or cha-cha “rhythm-deaf.” Anyway, drums had never been my thing, but all that’s changed now.

With village or tribal drums, there are four things I find irresistible. First is the form. The drums from Thailand are often tall (up to 8′) and have hour glass shapes, while Indonesian drums vary widely from tribe to tribe, island to island. They are pure sculpture, usually carved from solid logs. I’m a sculptor by training, and find the simplicity of these drums both alluring and fulfilling.

Second is the color. The drums from Thailand have more elaborate forms and are either left as natural wood or painted simply red and black, blue, red and green or just black, while the Balinese and Javanese drums, with their simple forms, are all about color–layers and layers of color with the bits of 10 layers of paint showing through here and there. You can imagine the villager thinking, “it’s about time to paint the drum again. It’s looking a bit beat up…. maybe red this year.”

The third irresistible aspect is the sound. I may be rhythm-deaf, but not tone deaf. They sound great. I often hear Justin demonstrating the drums through the floorboards of my upstairs office. It always makes me smile and conjures up visions of village life.

The fourth and possibly the most important is the energy; the good vibe that is exuded from these drums. Though they are used for all sorts of ceremonies rituals and celebrations, they have a happy feeling. They are mostly about fun, family and community and dancing with friends. These drums, like people, like to hang out in groups. I watch with wonder, as my collection of drums at home grows.

Q: How did the David Alan Collection come into existence?
A: The David Alan Collection (DAC for short), is a blend and culmination of much of what I’ve learned and loved in life, from my undergrad degree in studio art and art history to the restoration of a Victorian house on the Hudson River. If you add my love for travel in the East (over 30 trips to India and Asia), a passion for third world art and craft and my businesses on Cedros Ave., the foundation for DAC begins to emerge. The name, by the way, comes from my first and middle name, David Alan Bardwick.

Q: What businesses on Cedros were you involved in?
A: The first one, Creative Carpentry and Woodworking, I started in my garage in 1979, in University City where I designed and built furniture, learned more about wood, and structure, design, and integrity of furniture. I moved this business into “Cut & Dried Hardwood” (when I bought it at the end of 1985), in its old location at 143 S. Cedros. This is where I “cut my teeth” on retail. I was young, clueless and an artist. Excitement and passion helped make up for knowing next to nothing. I learned as I went along …… about wood, people, commerce and myself.
In 1993, my wife, Amita and I started “Trios Gallery” with two other couples, a business which we eventually owned ourselves. It was a great venture in community participation and group ownership, and it honed our skills in recognizing good artists and good work. Along the way came the short lived and painful retail store, “Lanai,” our Indonesian manufactured import shop on Cedros. I learned that I need to do my own buying, buy only what I love, and to cut my losses quickly when necessary…. among other things.

Q: So you have passed the “background check.” You still owned two other retail businesses?
A: In 2002 and 2003, Amita and I decided to clear the slate with the sale of Trios, Cut & Dried and our house and see what emerged. We even thought of taking a “year off.” I was clear that anything short of finding “something that I absolutely love to do, that would use ‘all of me’ and still demand my growth, creatively, intellectually and spiritually,” would be insufficient. Life is too short to settle for less.

Q: Voila! David Alan Collection (DAC) appears?
A: We all know it is never that clear or easy, except looking back in time. The “year off” was a passing fantasy that never was meant to be. It did make me ask: which of the American dreams is greater 1) to do for work, what you truly love or 2) to retire young and seek entertainment and the greatest comfort with the least responsibility?” Dream number two never really had a chance. I’m too driven to make things, to create, to build. As much as I want to be comfortable, its pursuit is my personal road to hell.

The seeds of the future DAC were planted years ago with a “someday I’ll ……” thought about starting a “by appointment only,” word-of-mouth collection in the corner of Cut & Dried Hardwood’s basement. This would perhaps satisfy my insatiable urge to treasure-hunt and share my booty with like-minded souls. It would be a fun, low risk, limited inventory avocation that required little time and attention. You know, all play and no work, and an excuse to do what I already love to do: Adventure Collecting.

It was a nice thought. Like all things in life, businesses have a life, will and mind of their own. They evolve. They require faith. They demand trust and courage. Perhaps most of all, they require that we listen to what they want to become and give them what’s needed for their growth and development. At its best, a business is a co-creation of whole community: a vision, actualization and evolution of an organism that is sensitive, responsive, responsible, alive, vulnerable, resilient and true. Thus David Alan Collection was born, embraced and encouraged, and is something like a wildebeast that runs full speed 20 minutes after birth. I have been listening to the whispers and growls of this beautiful beast ever since. It is full of energy, hungry to learn and grow, and insistent in its demand to bring as much beauty and soul to the Shores of America as possible, Pronto!

Beauty and soul are the twin lights that inform and guide me in my quest for pieces for the Collection. Once I’m drawn to a piece by its beauty or soul, then I look for the other essentials: balance, harmony, structural integrity, craftsmanship, good materials and condition. A piece may be lacking in any of these areas and still come home with me. Structural integrity can be repaired, gorgeous wood can to some degree override design flaws or average craftsmanship. If the materials aren’t the best but it’s stunningly beautiful, it comes home. Great soul or energy can override every other consideration.

Price and shipping are factors, but rarely the determining factors with the furniture, art and accessories that I buy. If I think it costs too much, I may ask for a break. I don’t bargain much with the good collectors. If we have a good relationship and like each other, the prices are already near their lowest level. I never insult them by saying that it costs too much. Rather I say “I can’t resell this piece at that price.” That way it is my problem and they can choose to be “generous” or not. I save haggling for the street vendors where it is expected. If it is the best piece of it’s kind that I have ever seen, oh well, what’s money for?

When I am buying, I try to do nothing but buy for days at a stretch. When I get into the “Zone,” chills and goose bumps come often and easily. When those signals occur then I know really to pay attention to that piece or that collection.

The most informative questions I ask are: Did the piece make me say “wow!?” or “I love that piece?” Did I get goose bumps or chills when I saw or touched the piece? Did it bring tears or stop me dead in my tracks? Did it just plain make me happy or inspire me? If I have any of these reactions, it invariably means the piece comes home. Good energy is king.

In the end, I choose what I chose because I love it - not because I think someone else will like it. If a piece inspires me, gives me joy or pleasure, creates a sense of wonder or awe and reminds me of what’s important in life, at that moment and for that moment, my quest is fulfilled.

Numerous criteria can be used to determine if a piece of furniture is great. In the context of this article “great” may not be synonymous with “museum quality,” rather great means a work of beauty and soul. These criteria could be separated into five including: the basics, the patina, the materials used, the history (interest), and the energy.

1) The basics include beauty, balance, harmony, color, structural integrity, craftsmanship, and condition. All of these attributes are important to determine if a piece is excellent. These are some of the physical attributes to consider along with the patina of a piece.

2) Patina is the physical evidence of the soul of a piece. It says something of its history, its age, if it’s had a hard or easy life; its personality. I find a “perfect,” old piece amazing, but wonder if it’s had a life. The patina gives mystery without telling its history.

3) The materials used can be incidental to the piece or the reason for the piece. I’ve purchased many pieces simply because the wood or stone were over-the-top beautiful. Almost anything can be forgiven if exquisite material is well used. I’ve designed pieces solely to present the beauty of a piece of wood. On the other hand, if the other basics are strong, then the materials matter very little.

4) Each piece, old or new, has a history. Knowing something of the history, its age, place of origin, use, maker, why it was made, for whom, and where purchased, adds to the value and interest of the piece. By “interest,” I also mean “Does it hold one’s interest?” Does it reveal itself bit-by-bit and allow for discovery? Is it subtly unsymmetrical or have aspects that are revealed as one inspects the piece? For instance, carvings that tell a story, a hidden compartment, or initials carved in the back of the door? Does it have an implied history, such as “If this piece could talk, what stories would it tell?” It is a history we will never know. Does it hold one’s affection, or is it merely like a kitchen cabinet or an Ikea side table?

5) Energy is the factor few talk about. One can at times recognize energy in a person “across a crowded room.” Energy can be recognized in an object as well. The energy of the piece can be imbued by the artist or can come from where or with whom it lived or how it was used. I have seen countless pieces from The Collection find homes simply because they feel good to their buyer. Many of our favorites in The Collection are pieces we simply want to be around. These are not necessarily the ones with the most beauty, the best craftsmanship, the finest design, or the most compelling history, but are simply the ones with the best energy. A piece with good craftsmanship and bad energy is not acceptable.  Harmony and good energy are valuable things in one’s environment. This is not mysterious. It’s just instinct and intuition.

In the final analysis, an ideal great piece exhibits all five criteria. In reality, it is neither likely nor necessary for a piece to have all those qualities to be great.

Getting creative — Old pieces, New uses

Stone Water Jar as Fountain

One of the most fun and creative parts of finding old, beautifully weathered, textured architectural and village pieces, is discovering new uses for them. 9′ or 10′ teak plow handles become handrails, legs for tables or wall art. Teak rice mortars become pedestals for wood dining tables, coffee tables, or plant stands or bases for glass top end tables, drink tables and outdoor tables. Carved beams become fireplace mantles or decorative doorway pieces. Doors become wine cellar doors, garden gates, closet doors, headboards, tabletops or wall art. Small animal troughs become table top fruit containers, sculpture stands, plant holders, or candle bases. The possibilities are endless. We’ve made stone grinding discs, water storage jars, mortars, watering troughs, and animal feeding bowls into fountains and yard sculpture. There are wonderful old house elements that become the ultimate sculpture stands. Browse through the collection and let your imagination run wild. It’s fun and you’ll be surprised at the wonders you’ll create.

It is the joy, beauty, and innocence transmitted through the simple works of folk art that drew me to collecting it from villages all over Asia and the Pacific for many years. It is the art of the people, of hearth and home, and is fashioned from the hands, heart and soul of the maker.

I am compelled to share my love and admiration for folk art’s pure and utterly delightful forms. The makers of folk art are usually villagers, untrained, with something to express, consciously or not. They are usually “playing” with an everyday household object, a tool, instrument, toy, piece of furniture, utensil, or offering - always making that piece more beautiful, interesting, or meaningful. These pieces are made and imbued with love, joy, and often a sense of humor and play. They’re an outward expression of an inner life. In the unselfconsciousness and purity of good folk art, a window into the heart and soul of another human being is opened. Folk art expresses emotions and dreams without the affectation of intellect. It is, in fact, probably the least pretentious, most honest art form that exists, perhaps because it wasn’t made to be art. Purity, like truth, wipes the slate clean for something new to happen, something real.

I am inspired when I look at these works and experience renewal and joy. These are expressions of real people. They are objects that are not trying to be something; they simply are.

It all began with a small group of traders who appeared from nowhere on the steps of my hotel. One was from Borneo, two from Sumba, one from Timor and one from Java. I called them “The Gang of Five.” Justin dubbed them “The Five Pack.”

We started with this small, but intense, group of traders who we connected well with and found interesting and valuable. Our first five or six meetings were great. I got to know the group a bit, began to understand their individual trading styles and the quality of their pieces, and we could goof around. I found out who spoke English better then they let on by teasing them and making jokes. I was surprised how many got the humor. When I told them they need to wake up from their dreams and give me real prices, they loved it.

Often, whoever just made a good profit on a sale, would go out and buy sodas, water and energy drinks for everyone. It was sweet and funny, but I couldn’t help but wonder what I paid “too much” for.

First we met in the hotel lobby, next, we met in the hotel parking lot, and the third time we met down an alley behind an abandoned motel. The gang had already set up for us (or set us up), so their head guy, Vandy, had to lead us in by car. We weren’t sure if we were on a treasure hunt or about to be mugged. We didn’t run and in the end we bought some stunning old tribal pieces that I still treasure.

We continued to meet at the hotel or in the alley every few days for the next couple weeks, choosing the prime, affordable pieces until my trip was over. Two months later, we picked up where we left off. This strange mix of traders continued to bring me great pieces. They seemed to have had a bit of a falling out, but they tolerated each other for a good trade.

Somehow, the word that I was in town and buying leaked out, and on my last evening at the hotel, the entire parking lot of the hotel was full of sellers, peddling mostly bad copies. Mind you, there was only room for 12 cars, but a lot of people arrived in each car.
The experience and quality devolved from discovery to disaster. Over 30 hungry sellers vied for my attention and money, and in the end, I bought little and enjoyed it even less.

I must admit that I’d been warned about things like this getting out of hand. I had even seen it happen in Sumba, but I thought I had this under control. Perhaps I’ll listen more closely to my friend’s advice in the future. In the meantime, I will meet the gang again next trip, but I will work on the choice of venue.

Food Preparation Implements in the Home have perhaps the best energy, flavor, and patina of anything in the Collection.  Food preparation is the heart and soul of home and village life.  It is done with care, love, and thoughtful attention.  One can taste the love in the food and feel the care from the tools used to cook and serve it.

Small, scooped out cutting boards with animal head handles that have been in use for 75 years or more, are included in the collection of implements from Java and other Indonesian islands. The wooden sticky rice trays from Thailand have been used for generations, and the serving bowls and trays from the tribes of the outer islands of Indonesia come to us after 100 to 150 years of family use.

All of these pieces were used for everyday meals as well as celebrations. They represent family and community sharing the most joyous time to the day — mealtime.  Their beauty and symbolic nature are lovely reminders for us to honor what’s truly important in life.

Perhaps most interesting of this group are the wood and stone herb and medicinal mortars.  Our collection of stone mortars from northern Thailand, China, and the islands of Indonesia are usually 200 to 400 years old and sculpturally beautiful.  The wonderfully eroded, small wood mortars are all shapes, sizes, and ages and have a similar feel.