arThou Blog: Resource about arT, arTists, Burning Man Theme camps, festivals and self-expression

Stick by stick: Steven J. Backman’s splintery medium finds a home in Carmel gallery

More of Steven Backman's art can be seen at Mountainsong Galleries, Ocean between San Carlos and Mission, Carmel. (STEVEN J. BACKMAN/toothpickart.com)

Not too many people consider the toothpick an art medium. That is, until they’ve seen the creations of Steven J. Backman.Backman has made a scale model of the Golden Gate Bridge out of 30,000 toothpicks — and a very tiny model of the same structure from a single toothpick. He’s captured the Empire State Building and San Francisco’s iconic cable cars, all painstakingly pieced together from those little bits of wood.

As if all that weren’t enough, he also has made toothpick portraits of celebrities and abstract sculptures from — you guessed it — toothpicks.

Backman’s work is so distinctive that it has earned several mentions in “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!”, the New York Post and Reuters.

“I love making art. It’s a unique medium, and it’s very challenging,” said Backman, a 42-year-old San Francisco native who began playing with toothpicks as a child, and obviously never stopped. “I’m one of the very few that does this, I think.

“It’s an item that you’d use to pick your teeth or pick up hors d’oeuvres. I’ve elevated a thin sliver of wood to a work of art.”

Lest you think this is merely an exercise in weird constructions, Backman’s work is now being carried by a Carmel art gallery, where currently a number of pieces may be seen anytime the gallery doors are open. (More of his work may be seen online at www.mountainsonggalleries.com or at Backman’s site, www.toothpickart.com.

Mountainsong Galleries of Carmel is Backman’s exclusive worldwide representative, and thus is the only place where the sculptures may be purchased.

Lucinda Mountainsong, co-owner of the gallery with husband Jonathan, said their recently opened establishment features works by California artists, with scenes from the Monterey Peninsula and other places around the Golden State.

She said Backman’s intricate work always draws comments from visitors, who are impressed with the intricacy and attention to detail.

“There’s one cable car that has little lights all over it,” she said. “Steven hollowed out toothpicks to hide the wires.”

Backman’s unusual path to the world of art really took off after he received his bachelor’s degree in industrial arts from San Francisco State University in 1984. He got the idea to make a cable car out of toothpicks — “I love cable cars, I used to ride them all the time” — and then he made another. And another. And another.

He then began to turn his attention to other historic landmarks. His 13-foot-long scale model of the Golden Gate Bridge took more than two years and 30,000 toothpicks to complete. In a happy coincidence, he finished the model just before the bridge’s 50th anniversary in 1987, and so it garnered a lot of attention — it was displayed at San Francisco City Hall and received proclamations from past and present mayors.

The bridge now belongs to the “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!” museum in Hollywood, which bought the piece for $250,000, according to Mountainsong.

Backman’s works are unique in other ways as well. At a distance, his works don’t look like they’re made from toothpicks, but appear as though they are carved from a single piece of wood.

No extra material is used to support any of his structures — he uses nothing but toothpicks and Elmer’s Glue to make them — and they are not lacquered or painted. Even his bridge replicas use no wire or cables, just toothpicks.

And so far, the pieces have proved they were built to last.

“I have some pieces that are over 25 years old, and they’re holding up just fine,” said Backman.

He also takes great pains with his replicas of famous structures. For instance, when he made a scale model of the Empire State Building, he was able to obtain copies of the building’s original blueprints, which he pored over so that he could get it just right.

In addition to these labor-intensive works, Backman also does toothpick portraits of famous people, including Carmel’s own Clint Eastwood, the Obamas and Oprah Winfrey, and also re-creates works of art like “American Gothic” and the Mona Lisa.

These, Backman said, are fun and don’t take so much intense effort over long periods.

In addition, there are several sculptures Backman has made from a single toothpick. He swears he uses no magnification devices when he carves these — “My eyes are pretty good, I guess.”

The toothpicks are “like tiny building blocks,” said Backman, who uses several different types in making his sculptures, including unpointed “blanks” that come directly from a toothpick manufacturer.

His next challenge: creating scenes in Monterey and Carmel … from toothpicks.

Backman has had his work on display at Mountainsong Galleries since August, and his work will be highlighted with a special exhibit at the gallery this December. A reception will be held, with Backman in attendance, on Dec. 4 from 4-7 p.m.

Backman’s motto is “The Essence of Patience,” which pretty much sums up his dedication to his craft.

“You stick with something long enough, you get good at it,” he said.

If you go:

What: The works of toothpick artist Steven J. Backman
Where: Mountainsong Galleries, Ocean between San Carlos and Mission, Carmel When: Open daily 10a.m.-6p.m. Reception for Backman set for Dec. 4, 4-7 p.m.
Information: www.mountainsonggalleries.com or 626-0600