Mark Ripley has successfully steered a career as a professional craftsman for over 20 years without compromising his ideals. His furniture is a testimony to his vision, faith and vocation.
Mark's furniture is rooted in the English vernacular tradition: beautiful, understated designs that celebrate wood finely worked. He does not aspire to the vaunted, individualistic designer culture but instead seeks the anonymity of the unknown country craftsman. This is not a false humility but a celebration of the human spirit and the universal values that are embodied in his work. Craftsmanship is a universal language that connects us with our humanity. Kahlil Gibran, the poet said 'work is love made visible' and Mark's furniture designs are meditations on love.
The projects presented in this book represent a particularly fruitful period of Mark's development as a designer-maker. They can be appreciated on many levels: as practical projects to inspire woodworking endeavors, as a body of work by a leading British designer-maker and a celebration of the human spirit in action.
Enjoy!!
