Land Art, Laughton Woods - Selvedges

My main source of inspiration comes from nature; it is both a celebration of the natural world and a response to how different cultures view and coexist with the world around them.

This didactic work contrasts the Japanese tradition of celebrating the Sakura (the Japanese name for the cherry blossom tree) with how the western world view and try to control nature, drawing inspiration from the recent plans by the UK government to sell-off publically owned woodland.

The Japanese view nature as an integral part of their identity and encompass it in their ideology, viewing themselves as part of, rather than as masters of the world around them. Their culture is intrinsically aligned to nature and place and the ephemerality of both mankind and the natural world.

During the spring the Japanese will lay blankets under the falling leaves of the iconic cherry blossom tree while the delicate flowers are dislodged by the wind. It is an experience that is shared and created together.
In stark contrast many in the west view nature as a commodity, and we are only now starting to acknowledge that we need to give back and work alongside nature to create a sustainable environment.

This series of land art uses organza silk hung from trees in a site specific context to celebrate the government's U-turn on its plans to sell off the forests and as a means of symbolising how the Japanese celebrate nature.

It is important to me that my work is displayed where people can enjoy and appreciate the aesthetics and narrative of my work in context and are given the opportunity to enter into discourse about the issues raised.

To only display the work in a gallery would take away from the main focus of the work. I.E -- It is not my main intention for art lovers to view my work in a gallery setting, rather its primary intention is to engage with the wider public in a natural setting.

The work is recorded on film and as a series of digital stills in order to keep a record. The contemporary soft sculptures I create are by their own nature a temporary depiction of the subject and use the same material each time at a different location in order to maintain the legacy of each different environment within the material.

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Tags:

• cherry blossom
• forest sell-off
• laughton woods
• land art
• nature art
• art
• selvedge
• Japanese