Immersed in the sensibilities of wood, David Nash has a highly developed understanding of the complexities underlying tree growth. His longstanding base at Capel Rhiw in Blaenau Ffestiniog, north Wales, provides the launch pad for his projects, many of which take him across the globe. The 200 works featured at his Yorkshire Sculpture Park exhibition (on view through February 27, 2011) employ a variety of experimental processes, carrying viewers on a multi-layered journey that winds through a labyrinth of indoor and outdoor locations. Towering shapes and squat forms convene in animated fashion, while wraith-like carbonized works shimmer incandescently in the muted atmospheric conditions of north England. There is an almost primal need to get close to the rich and textured surfaces—the cracks, crags, and undulations that offer a poignant reminder of the tree’s struggle for survival, as well as the inescapable passing of time…see the entire article in the print version of December’s Sculpture magazine.
