A leading figure on the British art scene, engaged in a continuous dialogue with nature, over more than four decades David Nash has developed an artistic approach characterized by the sublimation of the physical properties of wood and the transformation that trees undergo throughout their life cycle—from scion to final condemnation. Whether it is sawed by machine, burned so as to become charcoal, methodically placed in a forest or submerged in water, in his work wood, exposed as it is to the elements, is in a state of change. Through a working process similar to that of Land Art or Arte Povera, Nash is at one with his favourite medium, revealing its intrinsic features in various forms: monumental or small sculptures, charcoal or pastel drawings, and photographs documenting the process of change. Showing a clear correlation between form and material, the works on view at Galerie Simon Blais in Sculptures and Drawingswere made between 1987 and 2014.

Photos: Guy L'Heureux