They come, they saw, they compete

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
BY DALE BOWMAN STAFF REPORTER
May 8, 2005

Where does chain saw carving fit in the competitive and commercial landscape?

Is it art? A sport? Or simply expensive lawn decoration?

"It's an underappreciated art,'' combining sport, art and endurance, said Joe Fahey, vice president of marketing for Echo Incorporated in Lake Zurich.

Of course, he is biased, having overseen the debut of the Echo Carving Team at a mini-competition in Lake Zurich on April 29.

Why not a professional team of chain saw carvers. In modern America, art, sport and money have been intertwined for decades.

As a second-generation carver, J.D. Coonrod, one of the five Echo pros, described his approach to carving competitions.

"A lot of competitions are based on auction totals,'' the Downstate Quincy carver said. "In these events, I will always do furniture. It's not only a work of art, but it's useful. At an auction, a piece of furniture will win every time.''

That's why he opted to do a pair of stylized eagles framing a bench.

Team member, Jason Emmons, goes another direction.

"I heard a lot of eagles were being made,'' the St. Croix, Ind. Carver said. "It fits nice in the wood.''

He carved a stunning snow owl, a marvel of detail.

But, even in chain saw art, it comes down to the eye of the beholder. In this case, the eyes of the judge, Lake Zurich Mayor Jim Krischke. He chose the bear and eagle combination done by Mark Colp of Lakeport, Calif.

Both collectors and makers of chain saw art have their eye on the future.

"Four years ago, the Farmers Almanac said [chain saw art] is going to be as valuable as baseball cards in 25 years,'' Coonrod said.

Coonrod's dad, Ron, an early chain saw carver, said it was easy to make the jump from commerce to art.

He started out as a forester for the power companies. He was at the annual lumberjack show in Hayward, Wis., and thought, "Hell, I can do that.''

And he did.

Since 1958, the World Championship Lumberjack Competition in Hayward the last full weekend in July, has done much to commercialize chain saw art.

Ultimately, chain saw carvers may best be pigeon-holed as commercially successful performance artists.