Biography
One of Ternowski's most interesting qualities is his engagement in a large variety of media.
His blacksmith work is as strong and massive as his jewelry work is delicate and detailed.
Every artwork Ternowski creates starts from a new idea which portrays his current interests
and influences. He indulges in exhaustive research and thrives for perfection, while he
concentrates on strong forms, acute attention to detail, and traditional crafting methods.
Ternowski grew up in Germany and has been involved in the world of art since his early
childhood. At age 21, he moved to Los Angeles and earned his certificate of performance at
the Musicians Institute in Hollywood in 1995. He worked as a self-employed web designer
during the late nineties, until, quite literally, he decided to take artwork into his own hands
and pursued a bachelor of fine arts degree in sculpture at the Academy of Art in San Francisco.
Ternowski is currently focusing on the restoration of a French chateaux built in 1914.
Artist Statement
Beauty comes from Nature, first.
Most of my inspiration comes from nature itself. Whenever I travel, I
observe the forms found in nature: the shapes of plants, the play of
water and rocks, the wind blowing through the trees. I believe that
most people today are somewhat disconnected from nature, and I intend
to make artwork that brings the beauty of nature back into our lives.
The Arts and Crafts movement has always been a great influence to me. I like to
incorporate elements of this era into my artwork, and I also believe in the
importance of traditional craftsmanship.
Whether I work with wood, metal, clay
or stone, I feel that it is my obligation to first understand the material I
work with completely. Once I understand the material, I can experiment with
it—bend, shape or cut it, drill through it or heat it and cool it. This
experimentation allows me to exploit the possibilities as well as the
limitations of the material.
But whatever it is I have created and will create
in the future, most important to me is that I don't hide the origin of the
material I have used. If my piece is made out of wood, it should look like wood,
and if it is made from metal, it should look like metal. These natural materials
have a beauty of their own, and my artwork is only an extension to it.