Matt Bodimeade

Description

Matt Bodimeade's work in agriculture and forestry has had a profound effect on the subject-matter in his sculpture and on the materials he employs. Force 7 reflects the form of a plough, and the oak came his way as a result of severe storms which destroyed trees in the south-east of England. When asked how he came to conclusions in this work, Bodimeade said that the wood was lying around in his studio, and that he moved and altered it countless times before it came together in a satisfactory form. The plough impression was not planned, but evolved from his play and manipulation.

As the wood is not protected it is beginning to deteriorate, fungus is starting to grow, and the work will eventually decay and return to the soil. This is all part and parcel of Matt Bodimeade's ethic: to be precise and patiently work through the materials to hand on his part, but to allow nature its own force.