Regarded as arguably the best at designing and building treehouses, Pete Nelson is known to many as the “Treehouse Master”. In fact he now has a show on Animal Planet that goes by a similar name. Stemming from a desire to reconnect people with nature, he constructs elaborate treehouse homes for clients all across the country. As I watched his show and took a look at a few of his creations and the process in which he takes to engage with the trees prior to building the houses, I found myself wondering if this could be considered art. He’s a carpenter and this is more architecture than art I suppose, but he has a purpose for his creations and he works with tools and materials much like those found in our classroom used to make sculptures and pieces of art. Maybe it’s the fact that he makes treehouses that makes his craft seem less like construction and architecture and more art-like. I’m not sure, but I enjoy what he does. Check out some of his interviews and builds on the animal planet website if you’re interested.
Post by Keola Tan