Jeremy Shub wields a mean chainsaw.

Photograph by Jeremy Shub©  Courtesy of the artist.

Jeremy Shub is my latest find in the Yarra Valley.  He is a resident of the co-operative community known as Moora Moora, where artists and environmentalists live amongst the gumtrees just beyond Healesville.  

He sculpts minimal forms in wood, mostly cypress and chestnut, using a chainsaw to get the initial shape. His sculptural forms have been influenced by the philosophy of Plato and his notion of archetypal shapes. In this regard, Jeremy has explored the female form, always looking for its essence. He freely admits that his wife Julia has been his muse in this quest for many years now.  

Other artistic influences include,  Marcel Duchamp, Christo, Henry Moore and David Nash. Over a cup of tea in Jeremy's straw bale house this week, we talked about the monumentality of Henry Moore's work, at which point Jeremy commented, "I'd do monumental if I had a crane." 

This photo shoot was way more fun than should be allowed.  It put the lie to the saying that it's inadvisable to work with children.  Pretty early on, we realised that we needed a reference within the photos that would show the scale of the sculptures. Fortunately, Jeremy's two children were home so we drew them in to process. Jeremy's daughter ably assisted with props while his son aquitted himself very well (as you can see ) in the role of model.  All the while, Jeremy prepared toasted sandwiches to keep the hungry 'workers' happy. What a great team! 

Julia is a painter and added her special touch to the two sculptures below. 

I was channelling The Sartorialist for the photo below. (Fabulous pants Jeremy.)

Sustainability is woven into the ethos of Moora Moora so Jeremy and his family rely entirely on the sun for their power.  On days when there is little or no sunshine, he works in a way that doesn't require power tools maybe handcarving or sanding.  He sources a great deal of his ethically collected wood from Bowerbird at Millgrove.  In this way his art is sustainable.

It seemed utterly appropriate that Jeremy's studio should be outdoors.  He works in all weather, rain hail or shine.

There's great news for any readers keen to drive up through the trees to meet Jeremy in his studio and see his sculptures being made.  I understand that he has agreed to participate in this years Yarra Valley Open Studios program. For details checkout their website.

His work is available through the Artist's Lounge, Healesville and ACME et al, Yarra Glen.  He also works by commission.  Contact Jeremy via this This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  for an appointment.

You can also follow his work on fb.

All work in this post is Jeremy Shub©