Ausgebrannt is a series of stools created by Kaspar Hamacher by cutting cross-shaped notches into logs and setting them on fire. Every stool is of course unique due to the nature of their construction, yet they do retain a remarkably consistent typology when observed together. The way in which the logs are hollowed out by fire creates tapered legs, as you might expect to see on any handcrafted stool, and is a very novel approach to furniture making indeed.
The controlled burning of the log would have to have been carefully monitored so that the wood doesn’t become so burnt that the stool loses its structural integrity. Likewise the fire has to be precisely balanced so that a particular leg of the stool doesn’t become too thin. There was no doubt a lot of trial and error involved in the making of the Ausgebrannt series.
After the burning process, the bark is stripped from the exterior of the stool which further enhances the contrast between the internal charred wood and the outwardly showing healthy timber. The charring of timber in furniture is something we’ve seen in the past on Homeli with the ‘Wood Casting’ series by Hilla Shamia, in which the designer poured molten aluminium onto hewn timber sections to create tables.
Hamacher’s Ausgebrannt stools were most likely inspired by the ‘Swedish Torch’ campfire technique in which a thick log is partway cut into 6 segments, a small fire is started on top, and the fire continues to burn downwards relatively slowly. This Instructables guide gives a pretty good overview of the method and could perhaps even help you make you’re own version of the Ausgebrannt stool.
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| Designer | Kaspar Hamacher |
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