Carved from a single piece of Poplar wood, Crosscut Rip Cut Column reveals David Nash’s interest in, and approach to, the continuous evolution of a sculptural form. Working with unseasoned wood, Nash designed this sculpture based on the universal geometry of the cube. Although his approach has always been one of direct, physical involvement with wood and the landscape, geometric forms have fascinated Nash since the beginning of his career. As a consequence, his sculptural works can be divided into two distinct groupings: sculptures that connect, and interact with, the natural landscape; and those that are presented inside, within, and in relation to, their architectural environments. Crosscut Rip Cut Column is an excellent example of this latter group.
Every species of wood moves, cracks and warps in a different way, depending on the conditions of its environment. Nash explores these variables by cutting and slicing into wood to create sculptures that simultaneously bear the marks of his handiwork, while retaining their autonomy as separate objects. The fascination of Nash’s sculpture lies in its unpredictability, the way the material strains to resist a form that he imposes on it. The ‘memory’ of the original tree branch or trunk is implicit in this standing column, while geometric forms created by Nash, suggest humanity’s power and ability to shape nature for its own purposes.
Nash is one of Britain’s leading sculptors and has created a significant and varied body of work in which the relationship between human and nature is a central theme. In his own words, ‘The tree is a vegetable equivalent to human life, in that it has a similar life duration [and] mortality’. All of Nash’s work is created with this thought in mind: he believes in ‘growing sculpture’ militating against the ‘tyranny of finish’, which he equates with death.
