A former NYC musician producing music for tv shows, films and commercials, Ian Love stumbled into his next career after buying a house in Hampton Bays, Long Island. Finding solace in caring for his gardens and grounds after a family loss, he discovered the comforting connection of nature. When a white oak tree on his property was felled, he kept the wood and with the help of a chainsaw started playing around to sculpt a “somewhat functional piece of furniture.” “I didn’t know what I was doing at all,” says Love, “but I knew I loved it, and it was creative.” This revelation changed Love’s artistic direction, and he turned his attention to creating sculptural furniture and art pieces. “I committed to doing this full time,” says Love. “I’ve been developing my style and career ever since. I definitely didn’t see it coming.”
Sourcing the wood from local arborists—which would otherwise be discarded or used as firewood—Love lets the wood direct his design. He employs chainsaws, angle grinders and carving tools. “It becomes an intuitive process,” notes Love. “There’s a synergy that happens. I love woodworking because the material I work with is so organic and has so much personality that’s different every time I work on a new piece. I never know if something is going to work out, and it’s my job to work through any frustrations and difficulties in the process and make something beautiful out of something that was going to be thrown away.”
A standing sculpture is fashioned from black walnut, pink marble and white oak.
Turned on a lathe, the white oak side table is enhanced with maple bowtie inlays.
An inviting seat in black walnut is meticulously handcarved.
Each piece is one of a kind and, like children, it’s hard to choose a favorite, but Love is partial to one in particular. “I really do love all the things that end up getting made, and they’re all very unique, but if I had to pick one, I would say it is the ebonized locust side table with three tops and seven feet,” says Love. “It started as a vague idea, with a few mistakes along the way, and ended up being one of the oddest pieces I’ve made.” The table made its debut in the Netflix film Leave the World Behind, starring Julia Roberts. Notes Love proudly, “You can see it in some scenes in the movie.”
The creating is the fun part for this artisan, but the material has its drawbacks. “They’re usually whole trees so just the logistics of it can be challenging,” says Love. “Moving it, breaking it down, drying it. Then once it’s ready to be worked, you just never quite know what’s inside or how it’s going to react to all this sculpting and shaping. It’s an organic material so it’s gonna do what it’s gonna do.”
His clients vary and his furniture has been shipped all over the world. “I do mostly commissions now, and my clients are interior designers, architects and some people who just find me,” says Love. He enjoys the connection, not only to the wood, but also to the people who buy his work. “I really do love seeing where they end up and meeting the families that will live with them,” adds Love.
His latest experiment is sculpting totem-style designs. A recent creation was purchased for the Louis Vuitton store at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. “I’m excited to just keep pushing boundaries on my end and see where it goes.”