Tim Fowler

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Tim Fowler has been carving wood since he was about fourteen, when his father gave him a pocketknife. "I still have it around somewhere but the blades are down to nubs!" Tim tells us in his living room/workspace. The walls are covered in garlic, hanging on bits of string to dry out ("I like garlic.") Wood dust is just about everywhere except for the aquarium full of stick bugs and huge leaf bugs.

View Tim Fowler block prints

We go outside to Tim's yard to see a statue that he's currently working on made of mortar and bits of broken crockery, a departure from his usual carved hardwoods. Behind the garlic grove are some of Tim's painted sprockets, mounted like scarecrows, and about six or seven motorcycles. "People just bring them to me. I salvage the parts I can for other bikes." Tim also races his bikes "as often as possible" at local speedways. Not only are they all over his yard but they fill his garage as well.

Looking at Tim's work you can trace a path of former occupations and pastimes. "I think nearly every American male can relate to "Dishwasher God", says Tim. "I used to do seasonal work, working all summer, and then carving all winter." Tim used to pick apples in eastern Washington, as seen in "Apple Picker God", while "Manic Roofer" indicates his current occupation.

Tim's pieces are also very strong in social commentary. "Stadium Pig" signifies the debacle over the new stadium affair involving Paul Allen, the sports teams, and King County. "Gun Idiot" portrays the futility of current gun control laws. The often inane antics of the corporate world can be seen in "Job Slide", while "Back" could signify a reaction to "progress" and man's struggle with technology.

Tim will spend hours throughout the winter sculpting his chosen hardwoods, culled from his summer roofing jobs and from trips to the dump. The immaculate detail is sometimes highlighted by paint, "whatever cans I have laying around". He may also add bits of wire or tiny nails, depending on what the piece calls for.

Tim has been included in group shows at the former MIA Gallery, from 1987 until closing in 1997. Tim was also featured at the American Visionary Art Museum's (AVAM) inaugural show "The Tree of Life" and is currently included in "The End Is Near" show by AVAM which will be at the Bellevue Art Museum August 29 through November 1. Tim has also shown at the annual Outsider Art Fair in New York City and Garde Rail will be taking selected pieces to the 5th Annual Folk Art Festival in Atlanta August 14, 15, and 16, 1998. Finally, Tim is featured in 20th Century American Folk, Self-Taught, and Outsider Art by Betty-Carol Sellen.