Artist Uses Willow Branches to Create Abstract Artworks

By
Pie
-

British sculptor Laura Ellen Bacon uses raw materials such as willow branches, to create large-scale abstract sculptures which she installs in indoor or outdoor settings.

Working with her bare hands and few other tools, the art pieces are processed in several stages of sketching and weeks of weaving. “I began making my early works upon dry stone walls and evolved to work within trees, riverbanks and hedges, allowing the chosen structure (be it organic or man-made) to become host. I am still powerfully driven to create spaces of some kind and over a decade into my work, my passions continue to merge creatively with architecture,” she wrote on her website.

She will be exhibiting a new work at this year’s Collect: International Art Fair for Modern Craft and Design, which will start on February 28 until March 3, 2019.

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I’m posting this as it has relevance to a new piece I am working on for Collect. The work pictured here is entitled Murmuration and was created on the facade of the @holburnemuseumbath as a temporary exhibition piece in 2015, created by myself and a huge team of volunteers. It was inspired by starling murmurations; by both their forms in the sky, but also the way in which the shifting form is created by the twist and turn of thousands of pairs of wings. This piece is knotted rather than being woven and the thousands of individual curls and knots were made by not only me but by the hands of many volunteers. My work for Collect will revisit my inspiration from starling murmurations, although much smaller in scale and made by just myself. I accept entirely that I will simply never be able to recreate the shifting wonder of starling murmurations, they are a miracle of nature that I stand no chance of mimicking – but there is some reflection, hope and joy in the effort. I am showing with @jaggedartlondon – please come and find my work if it interests you. Thanks to Nick Smith Photography for the images of the work on the facade of the museum, also to the Holburne Museum volunteer team for the group photo and to Caroline Ross for the photo of me working on the scaffold. #murmuration #artinstallation #sitespecificart #collect19 #collect #saatchigallery #willow #knotting #sculptor #craftscouncil #collect2019 #craft #sculpture

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#flashbackfriday This time of year back in 2012, I created these forms entitled, ‘Split Forms’ at New Art Centre, Roche Court, Wiltshire, UK for an exhibition called ‘the nature of things’, curated by Sarah Griffin. The exhibition also included the works of Hans Stofer and Jennifer Lee. Split Forms was created directly onto The Artists’ House at New Art Centre, meaning that I spent a wonderful time working there meeting some wonderful people. It is a fantastic place! I remember my time making this work very fondly (and have returned many times since!). A bird nested in the work shortly after the work was finished. Birds do sometimes nest in the weave, especially wrens I am told… @new_art_centre #willow #sculpture #woven #wovenbyhand #interlaced #willowsculpture #willowsculptures #weaving #sculptor #sculpting #sitespecific #sitespecificart #sitespecificinstallation #sitespecificsculpture #sculpturepark #newartcentre #nest #nesting #splitforms #somersetwillow #musgrovewillows

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Dipped….

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Always impressed by the artistry of photographer, Alun Callender. Was thrilled to see him last week at The Harley Gallery which is currently showing an exhibition of my work called LAID (which contains a large installation inspired by hedge-laying and other works of mine). I recommend having a look at Alun’s work if you aren’t already familiar – his series of work about artists and makers is fascinating. @aluncallenderphoto @harley_gallery #sculpture #sculptor #installationart #artinstallation #largescalesculpture #largescaleinstallation #wovenspace #willow #fibreart #fiberart #fiberartistsofinstagram #hedge #thicket #hedgelaying #nesting #burrow #handmade #silverbirch #artistportrait #artistportraitseries #artistportraits #woven #interlace #interlaced

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