Green fingers

The last time I visited Kew was to see the installation of Henry Moore’s sculptures in 2007. Moore’s monumental bronzes made an enormous impact on the botanical gardens, so much so that the gardens were in danger of becoming merely a backdrop for the sculpture. Although a good many people came to see the exhibition, it was felt by the authorities at Kew that the crowds took away a greater appreciation of Henry Moore than they did of the Royal Botanical Gardens. So, when another sculptor was invited to show at Kew, the intention was that he or she would be involved more closely with the aims of the institution. Who better than David Nash (born 1945), known worldwide for his work with trees?

Nash makes sculptures with living trees, training them to assume particular shapes, or sculpts from wood that has died of natural causes, both of which make him an artist of impeccably sound ecological credentials. He arrived at Kew in the spring to be sculptor-in-residence for a year, and was given a cottage on the estate. To be within easy reach of central London is rather different for a man who usually lives in North Wales among the slate tips of Blaenau Ffestiniog. He’s taken advantage of the new situation and been up to town quite a bit, looking at exhibitions (the Henry Moore show at Gagosian was ‘a revelation’) and going to concerts (Nixon in China at the Royal Albert Hall he found particularly thrilling). He’s also been busy in what he calls a ‘wood quarry’ at Kew.