My friend Dave L called me last wednesday night and asked me if I wanted to go see Buckminster Fuller….. in an hour.  His wife was sick and he had an extra ticket.  Not knowing what he was talking about but never afraid of something new  (or free) I showed up at Portland Center Stage.

The show was amazing.  Its basically one actor portraying Bucky just talking for two hours furiously switching from one subject to another all with spit flying everywhere.  After a while you forget about the acting and start to feel as if Bucky himself is up there, playing with triangles.

There was so much information that I dont remember anything specific at all really.  It was inspiring though- to learn about a man who has so many ideas and excitement that it was a miracle he never spontaneously combusted.

Ive been feeling that excitement lately myself with Project Chaboo.  Its really hard to fall asleep at night there is so much going on in my head.  It was great to talk to Dave too about the NEXT project.  Ya- im already thinking about the next one.  Im sure we will learn alot from Project Chaboo and that will help us for future community projects.  Fun!

Dave was talking about some CRAZY project he is doing where a special metal alloy is involved which explodes if you machine it or cut into it.  wow.  That sounds almost as much fun as playing with mercury!

Thanks for taking me Dave.

David Bertman is the second tallest designer in the room.  Thats what his facebook should read.  His work is known for being “tight”- like his jeans.

I met Dave at Show PDX 2006.  His stool for that show I felt was a great design.  Ive been bugging him ever since to trade it to me. The problem is, his mom wants it.  And my best design that I would trade him is in MY mom’s house…. sounds like world war III if we try to trade…

David aka Boom is a designer/builder with mad skills in wood and metal and an admitted obsession with rectangles.  What would happen if David and Buckminster Fuller (obsession with triangles) were in the same room?  Well never know… UNLESS we ask the actor from the show about Bucky at Portland Center Stage to come to the Project Chaboo show.  That would be quite the showdown.

photograph by Joe Mansfield

Notice the slots he cut at the corners of his chaboo.  They mirror the insert I have in my original bamboo chaboo.  Those blocks serve as a spline to hold the piece together- but since his frame is steel he doesnt need it.  Reversing course and removing material instead to pay homage to that little design feature of mine- brilliant!  I also like how the center serves as a handle, reversing direction from the original and having a rail to grab instead of a slot.  His piece is what I was looking for in this project- a good balance between his signature aesthetic and mine.

Hoffman loft, Yakuza interior

Click on the image to go to his portfolio online.  All I can say about his stuff is “SWEET!” and “Fing awesome”.  Sorry I dropped out of grad school before I learned the fancy pants vocab.  Check out his stuff yourself- youll see that my critique is spot on.

photo by Anna Campbell

David has started a new company with his business partner Matt- Bertman/Overkill Design and does mostly project management now.  Check out what hes been up to lately!

Sneakerheads beware.  One-off shoe and shoebox for Ladainian Tomlinson.

Winnebago conference room.  They literally sliced up a winnebago and blinged it out!

In closing I HAVE to squeeze this in and represent.  We both went to Catlin Gabel.  Go eagles!  And kudos to our woodshop teacher, Tom Tucker.