WORK OF THE WEEK: Alison Crowther, Woodfield, 2024

Alison Crowther
Woodfield
2024
English Walnut
24.5 x 23.5 x 19 cm
9 ⅝ x 9 ¼ x 7 ½ in.

Woodfield offers a tangible connection to its natural heritage and the British landscape. Carved from unseasoned, English Walnut, it is believed that the tree the work is carved from stood for over 50 years before it fell; decades of growth now preserved in a new form. Crowther reveals the intricate structures within the wood while preserving the distinctive grain and markings that reveal it's history.

This meticulous carving brings together angular facets and flowing organic lines, allowing the wood's rich beauty to remain the focus.

We are left in awe by the nobility of a tree, expressed in its eternal patience, resilience, and creations of fabulous beauty. We feed on its fruits and take shelter beneath its branches. We use its timber for our houses, its boards for our furniture. Through us, the tree lives on.

- George Nakashima, 1988

Alison Crowther (b. Keighley, West Yorkshire, 1965) studied at Buckinghamshire College of Higher Education (1984-87) and the Royal College of Art, London (1987-89). Examples of Crowther’s work are held in several public collections, including Winchester Cathedral, The Rothschild Collection, and Glyndebourne Opera.

Anatomy of a Tree recently opened at New Art Centre, bringing together over 20 wood carvings showcasing Crowther's skill in her first solo exhibition with the gallery.