David Gilbert Sculpture at Watershed Studio

The body of work is from wood locally sourced from the area where we live, a beautiful strip of forest originally planted to provide wood for the maintenance of the locks and footbridges on the Basingstoke Canal. Living in this green environment inspired me to create work that resonates with the surroundings. Wood from the trees that we live amongst is the most readily available material.

I choose pieces that look interesting as if they have a story to tell. Sometimes where they have interacted with a man-made object such as a rope tied to the trunk or a branch, the tree has grown around the obstruction, creating a synthesis with the living wood. Looking at some of my sculptures, I constantly find shapes and forms echoed in the nature that surrounds us.