Ed Elliott sculptor story

Ed Elliott’s journey with De Vere

As an Artist, I have always been drawn to the familiarity of wood as a material. Since the dawn of time we have burnt wood, to keep warm, cook food, make tools, build furniture and build homes. We are materially more connected to wood than to any other material.

Artistically, I have tried to celebrate and highlight the importance of wood, not only from a craftsmanship viewpoint but also from an organic perspective. As a material it is alive, it still breathes as it seasons and hardens. It grows in an entirely unique way making each piece unlike any other. There is a rarity and value in wood as a material in the universe compared to diamonds and other precious materials. This is because wood is a product of biological processes that require very specific environmental conditions found almost exclusively on Earth.

For each Wooden Original, I try to work ‘with’ the material and uncover the very best qualities it has to offer, often found in the unique imperfections in each piece. If you are mindful of the ‘heart’ (or centre) of the wood and how it has grown, you can sculpturally use form to uncover and explore incredible growth and grain patterns as you sculpt, almost being dictated more by the material than your artistically designed intention. Often resulting in the most spectacular work. This represents how I work in harmony with wood as a material rather than simply implementing my will on it.

Wood is an impermanent material so has a lifespan to a certain extent. Wooden Originals can be preserved and kept indoors to keep for generations. A moment in time in one tree’s journey on this earth. The Rooted projects I have completed, ultimately have a lifespan, although the practice of Yakisugi on cedar helps preserve the wood from the elements, making it last longer than without this technique. If the tree / sculpture ever becomes too weathered, vulnerable or unstable outside in the elements, it can always be preserved further by applying treatments, cutting off its rooted foundation (which dead will eventually decompose in the soil and return to the earth) and relocating to install on another stable plinth outdoors. Or even moved to an accessible undercover or indoor location as a preserved ‘Legacy’ piece. 

Being introduced to the cedar at Tortworth Court felt like divine timing. In my self-driven body of work, I have specialised in both wood and bronze but Cedar with a series of pioneering work exploring the ancient Japanese Art of Yakisugi (焼杉). This is a wood preservation technique traditionally used for architectural purposes, but I have discovered it can enhance the surfaces and texture beautifully when used in my three-dimensional sculptural work. This then allows me to translate a collection of this work from wooden originals, into timeless bronze artworks.

The Tortworth Cedar is the biggest I have seen and therefore has the largest opportunity for what could possibly be my best work in this field. I feel compelled to create something special with this specimen that is designed to highlight the unique qualities of this tree’s growth, much of which can only be realised when I begin to work with the wood itself. This will also avoid simply losing it to the elements, which will inevitably happen over time.