Axel Haberstroh

My friend Axel Haberstroh, of Karslruhe, Germany, is one of the best artists I have ever known. I first met Axel in 1996 when he was the visiting artist at Columbia College, Chicago (that was my first year as the Wood Shop Manager at Columbia). He did a six-month residency there. He's an exceptionally good carver; not only did he study with Stephan Balkenhol, but he also held a job carving tiny cowboys and other characters to be injected-molded in Malaysia, then packaged in German breakfast-cereal boxes...
Anyway, here are some pictures of his work.

Pokalverteidiger/ cup defender, 2003
Ohne Titel (Tischrelief, Buche), 2005
Ohne Titel (Tischrelief, Buche), 2005

Raumfahrer /astronauts
Tuschezeichnung, Papier, bemalt /ink drawing 2006
Ø 25,0 cm
Courtesy Axel Haberstroh
Silbergirl,
mixed media, 2006
Ø universe sphere 45 cm
Courtesy Axel Haberstroh
Untitled (tide)
Gips, Ton, bemalt /plaster, clay, paint, 2005/2006
h 40,0 cm
Courtesy Axel Haberstroh

Untitled (tide)
Gips, Ton, bemalt /plaster, clay, paint, 2005/2006
h 40,0 cm
Courtesy Axel Haberstroh

Another Gum Graft Down.

The combination of a lifetime of aggressive brushing, a few adolescent years of braces and congenitally thin gum tissue has sent me on an odyssey of gum grafting operations in the last year and a half. My (former) dentist sent me to an old-school periodontist, who did some medieval-style grafts that didn't cover my exposed roots at all. Then I found the amazing Dr. Jochen Pechak in Palo Alto (he also has a practice in Monterey.) He's been redoing the other doctor's grafts and doing some more where I needed them. After the first surgery six months ago-- the one my dentist had said couldn't be done-- Dr. Pechak said, "See? Piece of cake!" He's done a beautiful job. I'm very impressed, and I give him my highest recommendation.

I'm not sure if I'll be inclined to post "before and after" pictures on this blog, which is supposed to be about my thinking about art, mostly. But sometimes the attrition of the body infringes for a while on art-making. Here's a way-before picture, with the braces that caused much of the trouble (and the remnants of a perm, as well)!

Year 7, Cheltenham Girls' High School, New South Wales, Australia.

Postscript: while camping this past weekend, it was necessary to brush my teeth with numbingly cold water. I instinctively braced myself for the familiar pain-- and there was no pain! Instead of exposed roots, I have gums. It continues to surprise me.