Wood carving, historically rooted in realism and craftsmanship, underwent radical transformation during the Cubist and Abstract Expressionist movements. These avant-garde approaches dismantled centuries-old conventions through three key disruptions:

1. Formal Deconstruction

Cubist carvers like Jacques Lipchitz abandoned proportional anatomy, fracturing figures into geometric planes that depicted multiple viewpoints simultaneously. A single sculpture might merge frontal and profile perspectives, rejecting Renaissance-inspired naturalism.

2. Emotional Over Precision

Abstract Expressionists such as Louise Nevelson prioritized raw emotion over technical perfection. Their assemblages used jagged cuts and distressed surfaces to convey psychological intensity—a stark contrast to the polished finishes of traditional ecclesiastical or decorative carvings.

3. Conceptual Materiality

Both movements treated wood as a conceptual medium rather than a passive material. Burn marks, exposed grain, and found timber fragments became active elements of meaning, challenging the "finished object" ideal upheld by guild traditions.

This artistic rebellion paved the way for contemporary sculptors to view wood not as a medium for replication, but as a vehicle for radical expression—where splits and splinters carry as much narrative weight as carved contours once did.