Woodworkers put their work in exhibition at Whanganui Community Arts Centre

Peter Loidl (left) with Keith Hughes and Peter's Model T. Photo / Paul Brooks

Wood as Art is a new exhibition on now at Whanganui Community Arts Centre. It features the extraordinary work produced by members of the Wanganui Turners and Woodcraft Group. As the exhibition title suggests, it is definitely art.

One of the newer members of the group is Peter Loidl, whose talent will be represented by three wooden vehicles, faithful reproductions of vintage trucks in precise 1:2 ratio. And they all have modern uses, not just as decorative pieces.

"I had an accident at work," says Peter, still with a trace of an Austrian accent, "And I thought, what am I going to do?"

He had already proven himself adept at woodwork, but this was a whole new level, and he wanted authenticity.

"I did some research on the net and got the plans of Model Ts, because they were freely available." He also felt that with something like that, any blemishes would not look out of place.

"I started making four wheels. I started turning the spokes ... they're made like wagon wheels. It's built to dimension." The vehicles are exactly half the size of their steel originals. The real windscreens also open as the originals did. "That's early air conditioning."

For timber, he has used offcuts and pallets and much of the wood he can't identify. For curved pieces like the mudguards and, in this case, a rolled tank on the back, he made his own templates and moulded layers of veneer on them to create the finished parts.

Each of the mudguards has a similar pattern on the surface, which took careful matching.

The finished product is a work of art and a testament to his skill. The tank on the rear tray opens up to reveal a drinks cabinet, or a bar, with lighting. The truck's body is built on a half-scale chassis, perfect in every detail.

His "mark" is a wooden inlay in the shape of a shamrock. His tidy shed and workshop contain the third truck — The Moonshine Express.

Peter was a chef, travelling the world practising his foodie craft. Some time ago he left the trade and got into smallgoods, working in all sorts of places, including Mongolia, where he produced smallgoods from locally derived meat. He came to New Zealand in 1980.

"We're a diverse group," says Wanganui Turners and Woodcraft Group president Keith Hughes. "We've got one guy who uses two chisels to make things, then there's Ray [Cooper], who has every toy imaginable to make things, and we've got guys like Peter.

"What comes out is staggering."

Members are from all manner of backgrounds and are skilled at all kinds of woodturning, fretwork, intarsia and carving.

Peter joined the group last year.

Keith says there are 182 pieces on display in the exhibition. He has contributed 20 pieces of woodwork.

"There will be 40 bits hanging on the wall, that's the intarsia stuff." That leaves space for those pieces that can be arranged on the floor.

Interestingly, group members are still able to impress each other with their work.

Keith says he was taught by Dr Deon Hazelhurst. "I was taught by the best: His wood turning is exceptional. I've been doing it for six years, but most of the guys have been doing it for 20 or 30 years."

Keith says the group needs to attract younger people in order to survive. Some people come along with no skills or experience and group members make it their job to teach them.

The Wanganui Turners and Woodcraft Group meets four nights a week at Whanganui City College. The group recently raised money to buy more lathes. They now have nine. The last show was successful so this time the show will be over three weekends.

Wood as Art is on until September 25 at both galleries in the Community Arts Centre, 19 Taupō Quay, from 10am-4pm daily.