Erase / Rewind

Finland. A poplar trunk, measuring 35 cm in diameter, is processed with a peeling lathe
to obtain a 2 mm-thick sheet, about 290 cm in length. This is the first stage in a process
that usually leads to the creation of plywood, which is obtained by the cross-grained
overlapping and gluing of these thin veneers together. In the 1930s, the architect
Alvar Aalto was the first to use plywood for his products in place of solid wood,
which is heavier and less stable. Here the trunk represents the great weight of utopia
and of its supposed perfection, whereas the peeling of the wood is the deconstruction
of this imperative. The sheet obtained by peeling the trunk becomes a white flag, and an act of surrender and truce by man in the face of defeat and the possible revolt
of nature. It can also be seen as
a white space and a starting point for designing new scenarios. Alvar Aalto’s stool in
plywood clearly illustrates one of these innovative artistic processes. The place chosen
is Finland, Alvar Aalto’s homeland and the source of the main types of wood used for
making plywood. It is also one of the ten regions in the world where deforestation is out
of control (6.4% deforestation).