90265+lifestyle ed gibson
It took Malibu Native Ed Gibson two years of living on a tiny tropical island to find his calling. And when he did, “Natural Edge” was born. Living in Fiji, on a remote island in the Northen Lau group, Ed routinely came across magnificent old trees that had been toppled by age and disease as well as the recurring tropical storms.
Seeing “sculpture” in the tangle of those fallen trees inspired him to look even closer at the beauty of the grain and the potential therein to rebirth these natural wonders into useful and artistic homages in their second incarnation. Thus, “Natural Edge,” a furniture design and manufacturing company, became the perfect vehicle to make his early inspirational vision a reality. “In Fiji we call this wood referred to as ‘rain tree’ me that the rain trees not wanted to create something trees to live on and bring
Vaivai. In English it is commonly or ‘monkey pod’. It was important to go to waste. And so I decided that I that would allow the beauty of these joy to others through another form.”
The work is a true labor of love. It begins as Ed salvages the trees with the help of many hands, strong backs and some major equipment for the larger recoveries. Ed’s workshop virtually contains a forest of salvaged trees awaiting their transformation. Ed painstakingly cuts long slabs from the trees with a giant wide blade machine, utilizing a sophisticated venting system to keep the massive quantities of saw dust out of the air. Each slab averages 3” in thickness and up to 12’ long.
photos by idris erba Ed employs an organic process to the design of each piece, “I let each slab - by its shape and size dictate to me what it wants to be. I don’t want to force anything.” Ed refers to all his pieces both glass and wood as “functional art.” His workshop building also houses an “open to the public” glass blowing facility. Ed trained for several years at the CCA California College of Arts in Oakland and San Francisco and majored in glass blowing. It was during this time that he took his one and only class on wood furniture production. Also in progress is a transformation to the east end of the building. Plans are to create a gorgeous loft-like space with exposed brick walls and 30 ft wood trussed ceilings dotted with skylights, lending incredible light into the massive structure – similar to the light that filters through his beloved rain forests. His plans also include a gathering space for friends, local artists and clients with of course a gorgeous slab of “Vaivai” topping the bar. @naturaledgedesign/instagram
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He preserves the “natural edge” of each slab to enhance the natural connection as they proceed on their journey of transforming into a beautiful table top surface. Then there is the process of surfacing the slab flat and sanding it. The type of finish will depend on the use of the piece and the desired look.