Our Roots

Bennett Abrams,
Developer & Inspiration for the NatureMaker Steel Art Tree™ 1931 - 2004

Artist/sculptor/ecologist/inventor/entrepreneur and mentor to many, Bennett Abrams was known as a gentle and restless spirit who manifested his limitless creativity into a successful forty-year career in the visual arts. In the 1960's, spurred by the budding environmental movement, his research into Egyptian mummification, Victorian taxidermy, and other preservation methodologies led him to create a series of "eco art" sculptures in wax. These were primarily commissioned by museums, corporations, and private collectors. Vignettes of butterflies, fallen leaves, and mossy hillsides of trembling wildflowers, "frozen under glass," initially a fad, became a sought-after decorative and collectible art throughout the 1970's.

Photo: Bennett Abrams and "Soft Edge" sculpture circa 1980

 

In 1977, Abrams was commissioned by The Long Beach Museum of Contemporary Art to create a comprehensive retrospective of the “best of” his “eco art” period, 1969 – 1975. The exhibition was named “Natura Naturans” (literally, “nature naturing”). As shown, “Summer”, 12” X 12”, nature’s “crown of creation”, part of the Four Seasons collection.

In the 1980's, he and his life partner, Gary Hanick, founded California Country Trees, and later, their public Studio, NatureMaker. The Studio gained worldwide recognition and fame for inventing, innovating, and promulgating an entirely new art form: "steel art trees".

Abrams' desire was for all who "connected" with his work to experience their own vision of nature as both a sensual and transforming experience. He developed a unique bark "medium" which, when applied to his monumental steel sculptures, was both tactile and completely authentic in its minutiae. Abrams' vision of nature as "organic" always left an indelible imprint, that both the artist and the viewer were giving birth to something entirely new, life affirming, and beautiful.

 

Bennett Abrams always knew that his work would follow him, and would serve as examples of one individual's life vision, passion, and sensitivity. His arboreal sculpture can be found on every continent. His legacy and example have touched many: namely, that one individual, without a great deal of formal education or training, can, while remaining true to his muse, reach ever higher, and achieve his particular dream.

Abrams' niche in the art world will continue to be promulgated and expanded by Gary Hanick and NatureMaker, as well as by the many apprentices and artists he inspired and encouraged to do ever greater works. His love, humor, steadfastness, and one-of-a-kind sensibility have imbued a lifetime of impressions, touching his many friends and family. We know that, on whatever level he finds himself now, Bennett is planning his next project and, as always, is directing traffic.

The Organic Origins of NatureMaker: Sustaining the Vision
An Audio Interview with Bennett Abrams 3/18/2004

 

NatureMaker History

The long and storied journey of NatureMaker began in the mountains of Idyllwild, California in 1983, when Bennett Abrams and Gary Hanick began experimenting with hardwood limbs and branches and other natural materials they found while exploring the forest. Their earliest works, conceived as “sapling” trees, became recognized as objets d’art by major retailers such as Macy’s San Francisco and Marshall Fields in Chicago. Later their artificial trees were discovered by architects and interior designers and are now found in museum exhibits, libraries, lobby designs, restaurant interiors, themed environments, residences and all sorts of interior landscapes.

Photo: Gary Hanick & Bennett Abrams at WAVM (Western Association of Visual Merchandising) National Conference, San Francisco 1984

In the late 1980’s, Abrams and Hanick responded to the burgeoning casino designs of Las Vegas, by creating monumental interior trees for such high profile casinos as the Mirage and Buffalo Bills. Abrams invented an entirely new super natural bark medium that, when applied wet to an engineered steel substructure, then hand-carved, hand-painted, and scenically aged, and allowed to cure, infused the sculpted tree with the subtlety and originality of fine art.

Photo: The Famous "Hangman's Tree: with animatronics at Buffalo Bill's Casino

These early bark-over-steel trees became the catalyst for new applications, such as column clad and wall-mounted tree sculptures. Eventually these creative processes culminated into what Hanick and Abrams dubbed “the Steel Art Tree”.

As they addressed the primary concerns of architects and designers – structural integrity, sound engineering, adherence to applicable building codes, and fire safety issues – NatureMaker’s commissions grew more diverse, and the company and its founders attained a high level of visibility and public recognition.

Always expanding the boundaries of arboreal arts and technology, NatureMaker has evolved as a significant force in the perception of “nature in design.” The legendary individuality of NatureMaker’s “hero trees” tells a story that captures the essence of our enduring bond with the environment.

Photo: Giant Walk-Through Sequoia at the American Wilderness Experience, Ontario, CA

 

Naturemaker Profiles

Gary Hanick - Co-Founder and President

Gary Hanick’s creative marketing expertise and interest in expanding the art form of Steel Art Trees has, over the past three decades, lead him on an amazing journey to five continents, and individually cultivated contacts with thousands of designers, architects, and developers. Because of his vision and passion for the advancement of the arboreal art he created, NatureMaker trees are in homes, museums, casinos, hotels, libraries, retail developments, and zoos around the world. Hanick’s keen understanding of human nature and his love of design has led the NatureMaker creative team to produce ever more challenging and intricate trees, both in size and scope, while always maintaining the sensitive “eye” he developed through his long association with his partner, celebrated Eco-Artist Bennett Abrams. His involvement with all aspects of the project, from initial conceptual design through installation, represents the passion and care that is the hallmark of the NatureMaker Studio. A graduate of the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, Hanick amalgamates business acumen with a great love of art.

Jim Paul - Director of Design

Jim Paul’s unsurpassed knowledge and understanding of both the artistic and the technical aspects of Steel Art Trees has added immeasurably to the design, structural and engineering features behind NatureMaker’s monumental sculpture. As a result of Jim’s ten-year association with Gary Hanick and Bennett Abrams, as well as his decades-long background as a fine artist, there has emerged a uniquely organized and systematized design and fabrication process. The design methodology that Jim developed commences with hand-rendered, scale line drawings, followed through with structural engineering, in-house custom handcrafted, telescopic tree fabrication, and professional installation. All technical, engineering, and design questions should be directed to Jim Paul.

Phyllis Roberts - Director of Finance and Operations

Phyllis Roberts is Director of Finance and Operations. She brings with her over three decades of production and financial management experience. Phyllis takes a practical, hands-on approach to fine-tuning the running of a creative design enterprise. From modernizing accounting and software programs to streamlining procurement, Ms. Roberts has also engendered a new spirit of enthusiasm and cooperation among team members and clients alike. “Always my goal is to find new and imaginative ways to improve the quality of the art we create,” Phyllis says. “I want to be the conduit that brings the Studio up to its next level…..the possibilities of incorporating ‘steel art trees’ on the global stage are unlimited.” Phyllis is NatureMaker’s contact for all matters relating to finance, procurement and operations.