TIA KEOBOUNPHENG: CATCH-ALL INTERDISCIPLINARY PORTFOLIO
MODERN TANNENBAUM
Tia originally conceived of this alternative Christmas tree in 2003 as a one of a kind tree for our own home. The Modern Tannenbaum's tapered wood trunk was the heart of the design and the first prototype sat atop a salvaged metal base that had been used for a retail fixture. Souliyahn designed the chunky, interlocking wood X-base and Robert Feyereisen perfected the spun connection of the trunk to the base.
The first original 7ft tree was sold locally in Minneapolis in 2004 and was adapted to a 3ft. table-top version in 2007. Due to the nature of wood, the Modern Tannenbaum celebrates the natural, and sometimes uncontrollable variations that occur with solid wood -- slight curving of the trunk and small splits in the chunky base become celebrated details as unique as each of us.
The trees are very labor-intensive to make, each one made by hand and adjusted pains-taking-ly to fit together. The last batch of trees was made in 2012. No plans have been made for a new batch.