Saved By The Bell

By Clay Lester

A constellation of deep, sustained tones echo down a winding series of unfinished roads, guiding wanderers and passersby through the dense woods of Wolf Gap toward the hidden workshop of Fred Asplen. Fred’s property rests atop a hill at the end of one of these unfinished roads, a cozy testament to the self-reliance and independence of so many in Appalachia. Beyond his sprawling, organic garden, Fred’s work-in-progress home/workshop overlooks a steep hillside dotted with an array of additional herbal and floral gardens planted and tended by his daughter. A tour of the house reveals, among other things, the prioritization of space: 20 percent living area, 80 percent workshop. Even the living area is filled with Fred’s various handmade crafts and passions—from woodworking projects and leatherwork to colorful homemade hoops. But as the house gives way to the sizeable workshop, it becomes immediately evident that Fred’s current passion is the one to which he has devoted the majority of his time, energy, and space: bells.

The term “bells” is perhaps a bit misleading, as Fred’s bells are more akin to the gong family than to the instrument paraded through the streets by carolers during the holidays. Constructed from the remnants of discarded oxygen and helium tanks, these large, hanging objects produce a richly satisfying pitch when struck with one of Fred’s hand-crafted wooden mallets, the reverberations of which sink to one’s core. The haunting effect of these bells is so profound, in fact, that Asplen suggests utilizing these objects as a form of meditative aid. “Sometimes it can be difficult to slow down and focus--to center ourselves. I’ve found that these bells help me do this,” explains Fred.

Indeed, the centering effect of these sounds is particularly soothing yet energizing, making them an appropriate accompaniment to prayer and contemplation.

Apart from their unique sonic signature, these bells may find value as simply aesthetically pleasing additions to one’s front porch. Once the bottom has been safely removed from the original tanks, Fred uses his blow torch to adorn each bell with a design unique to its own shape, markings, flaws, and defects, after which he applies a clear coating. The effect is visually stunning, creating seemingly organic, natural patterns and shapes on objects previously marked by the ugly functionality of modern industrialism. At craft fairs and festivals, Fred likes to display his bells hanging amongst the trees whenever possible in order to highlight the natural beauty inherent in these objects.

Fred’s bells represent a certain resourcefulness particular to the Appalachian experience. And this re-appropriation of materials deemed garbage by the broader culture, whose value have been extended far beyond their practical usefulness through the eyes of the artisan, represents, perhaps, something more profound about the Appalachian culture and its people: hope. It is the ability to witness beauty where others see only refuse and to see whimsy in what others view as the mundane. In the practiced hands of an Appalachian craftsperson such as Fred Asplen, even hollowed shells of discarded metal are given to song; if one listens closely they can hear their voices lift from the valleys to somewhere beyond the mountains.

For more information on Fred’s bells, contact Fred Asplen at fredasplen@hotmail.com