Woodcarving with a Conscience

Shane Eagleton, the college's newest artist-in-residence, is sharing his unique approach to this ancestral art

   
     I work with the knowledge handed down from our ancestors," says Eagleton. Using indigenous woodcarving traditions, Eagleton inspires communities to reconnect with their roots, protect endangered species and celebrate the mana (spiritual life force) that connects all things to the universe.

     All of Eagleton's wood is salvaged from parks, dumps and landfills. Through his ecologically-based sculptures, woodblock prints, furniture and healing poles, he stresses the importance of using natural products from the earth that have been abandoned as waste.

     Trees are his passion, He began whittling at age eight after his mother gave him a small knife. When he was still young, he left the South Pacific and traveled through Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, settling in the San Francisco Bay area.

     Eagleton says he felt a "deep sadness" as he witnessed the great redwood trees disappearing. He realized. "They never had a spokesperson - same as the inner city kids, same as the ancestors."

     He salvaged the fallen trees and in 1999, carved a life-size humpback whale with calf from a 2.000 year old redwood. It was presented at the first Presidio Trust-sponsored Earth Day.

     He has also carved a sculpture of the African continent with a lion emerging from it. The sculpture now sits in Nelson Mandela's home.

     Eagleton works intuitively, attuned to the spirit of the trees. He uses self-made chisels and adzes based on those from early Polynesian cultures to release the objects and images he believes already exist in the wood.

     "It's a skill you have to acquire," he admits. As a tree surgeon, he learned to master the chainsaw and is one of the most skilled chainsaw workers in the world.

     While carving a canoe in San Francisco at the Academy of Sciences, Eagleton was approached by the Lord Mayer of Prague. He was looking for someone to work with the trees recovered in the decimated acid rain forests of Czechoslovakia.

     There was no money in it for Eagleton, but they struck a deal: carved healing poles and furniture in exchange for an introduction to Prague's master marionette carvers and free beer at the local brewery.

     Eagleton seized the opportunity to learn the skills of puppet carving and to talk story with people who lived through the Communist regime.

     "People had no interest until they saw why these trees were carved," says Eagleton, explaining that "taking responsibility for what we do to the planet and respecting the Earth for our children is important."

     Through his art, Eagleton is able to connect with kids who might otherwise get into trouble. "Kids are falling through the cracks," Eagleton observes,"and if kids in school don't test well and fit into the mold they're out."

     He says the arts are under utilized, with books and computers being the primary sources for learning.

     "I give them a chisel and mallet, let them take their aggressions out and they turn it into something beautiful," says Eagleton, with arms outstretched.

     For many at-risk kids under Eagleton's wing, carving a 13 foot crocodile or a giant sea turtle out of a salvaged log provides a sense of hope and optimism. They learn through this artform that they are worthy individuals capable of positive change in their lives. Eagleton says, "It's a a win-win for the community."

     Eagleton worked with the Ohlone Youth Camp at Pinole State Park where he built a replica of a tule canoe with a special eagle head. Ohlone Indian kids learned to work with wood in a way similar to the way their ancestors honored trees and plants.

     "They are seeing how much is being destroyed," says Eagleton.

     The Lord Mayor of Prague asked Eagleton to let him know when he finds a base.

     "This (WCC) is my home now," declares Eagleton. He can be found carving palm trees which were uprooted during WCC's construction and is teaching wood carving on campus at 'Iolani building.

     
Master woodcarver Shane Eagleton hates to see anything wasted - whether it's kids, trees or entire communities. That's why he has dedicated his life to bringing people together through his environmental art.


     Originally from New Zealand, E agleton's Polynesian heritage comes from his mother who is from the island of Rotuma in the Fijian islands. He is internationally renowned for his public art projects in England, New Zealand,Australia, the Czech Republic and the United States, and has been based in San Francisco for the last 10 years.

     His work can be seen at Golden Gate Park, Presidio Park, the San Francisco Zoo, and the California Academy of Sciences and Shoreline Amphitheater.

     Pieces also have been featured on stage with environmentally-conscious rock musicians Horde, Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam and the Dave Mathews Band.

  Eagleton now calls Hawai'i and W indward Community College his home, offering non-credit classes in woodcarving. "They've given me the gift of a beautiful space," he says of his new art studio in 'Iolani building.

     He also has bigger ideas. W ith the help of the community and The Cultural Conservancy, Eagleton is currently developing an education center dedicated to "trees, Culture and Sustainability""