Case 016
the secret files of new york art detective
Walter Lin P.I.
No Man: Wrestling with Wood
Wood’s always had a pull. At one time, I thought it might be my future—a life in carpentry, hands shaping grain, crafting something solid. That didn’t happen, but it stayed with me, sneaking into my art, embedding itself into my process. Printing surfaces. Tray-style frames. Foundations for work that needed weight.
Now, No Man—four foot by three and a half, the biggest piece I’ve taken on. And with scale comes problems, practical ones, relentless ones. Wood doesn’t just sit and wait; it shifts, breathes, bends where you least expect it.
The Battle Begins
The plywood was first. Six millimeters thick, prone to delaminating. A friend’s advice led me to shellac—three layers to seal the surface before priming. Another round for the back, trying to prevent warping, fighting against physics. The delamination held. The warping? Not so much. The board twisted, not badly, but enough. Enough to be a problem.
Weeks passed. It was time for the frame—a simple L-shaped moulding from Lion Picture Framing. I knew the drill, had built frames before, but this one was different. Bigger. More difficult. No space in the studio, so I took the fight to the kitchen floor. New strap clamp in hand, everything looked good. Until I made the mistake. Forgot to weight the frame as it dried. It warped. Same direction as the plywood. The wood had won twice.
So there I stood—warped plywood, warped frame. No easy fix.
The Way Forward
Two choices. Build a new frame, stronger, heavier. Or find a way to pull this one back into shape. The second option felt right. Less waste. More ingenuity. Oak bed slats—reclaimed from the local recycling center—became the solution. A hidden support frame sitting behind and within the tray frame, forcing them straight, locking them in place.
And the result? Solid. The structure holds firm, keeps the plywood at its depth. The bare oak will take wax, giving it warmth. The tray frame will go black—sharp, striking, built to stand. A creation born out of necessity, a piece that wouldn’t exist if not for the fight.
Sometimes the best solutions come from the struggle. Sometimes the warped wood, the mistakes, the forced adaptations—they make the work stronger. No Man wouldn’t be what it is without them.
