The Helix Table
Material
Oak and black bean
Dimensions: 94cm x 44cm
For this table, I had a fixed central axis, around which I placed various templates to build up different spiral arrangements. Eventually I decided on this oak and black bean version. Each piece is offset by a fixed number of degrees, which results in a uniform spiral, rising from the base to the top. The tip of each component is made from black bean, inserted into the oak, and shaped to a point. I had been given a batten of this rare wood, which comes from Australia, by an old cabinetmaker. I thought the wonderful coffee colour of the black bean contrasted beautifully with the honey tones of the oak.
‘So many things in nature grow in a spiral. The mediaeval Italian mathematician, Fibonacci, gave us the Fibonacci sequence of numbers, which yield what is known as the Golden Ratio. This ratio describes every spiral that we find in nature, from nautilus shells and pinecones, to spiral galaxies. The exploration of the possibilities yielded by such mathematical sequences is often reflected in my work.’
Max McCance