The Art of I. Denton

About

The remarkable detail and subtly stylized lines characterizing the artistry of celebrated woodcarver Ivan Denton are in abundant evidence in this beautifully illustrated volume of The Art of I. Denton. Behind each carving presented here, is its story from a piece of wood to a work of art, told in the words of Mr. Denton himself.

This is, in fact, a tour guided by Ivan Denton covering the best of his efforts, his love for the wood, and the process which turns a craftsman into an artist. As he says in describing his work: “Art exists only when you share it. When a tree falls in the woods, in school they said, ‘This tree doesn’t make a noise if someone doesn’t hear it.’ Because, you know, the sound waves don’t bump against the eardrum . . . The idea of not being able to get rid of a piece is basically the concept of an amateur. Not only does a professional need the money, and not only does he need his ego flattered, it’s just that the art doesn’t really exist until it’s shared. That’s an even deeper joy than the ego.”

Chosen from collections across the country, these pieces represent the masterworks from one of a disappearing breed of artisans. But The Art of I. Denton is more than a document of our cultural heritage, it is a tribute to the man and his art.

Review

“This is the work of a master artist, a carver not only of figures but of moods, capturing the flavor of the wilderness. A sensitive salute to a modern artist of the Old West.”
—The Book Reader

Author

Tired of chicken farming and determined not to work in town, I van Denton decided to turn his life-long hobby into a profession, and soon became one of the pioneering Ozark woodcarvers. His western carvings have often been compared to the works of Russell and Remington, and he has been the subject of feature articles in a number of magazines, including National Geographic.