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Ash & Plumb: a collision of the archaic and contemporary art at Flow gallery
Ash & Plumb at Flow gallery
Image: Courtesy of Flow gallery and Ash & Plumb
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Ash & Plumb: a collision of the archaic and contemporary art at Flow gallery

The woodturning studio based in Sussex unveils a solo exhibition at the Flow gallery, showcasing a new collection of wooden vessels that embrace imperfections and history.

by Anushka Sharma
Published on : Apr 06, 2023

Fragments of history, archaic traditions and practices slither into obsoletism each day. As humankind precipitates in the innovation, artificial intelligence and technological advancements—a future precisely unfathomable—the frequency of slowing down and looking back has only diminished. But some contemporary artists, designers and craftsmen, in their unassuming creative retreats, continue to preserve what is largely lost. And they do so in alliance with the contemporary, giving fruition to a new, seemingly mutated aesthetic that elicits questions in the onlooker’s mind: what form would ancient archetypes take in a modern context?

Barnaby Ash and Dru Plumb, wood artists based in Sussex, UK, find solace in imperfect, time-worn surfaces, the cracks and crevices of which provide glimpses into the past. Their woodturning studio, Ash & Plumb has conceived an oeuvre of unique, one-off sculptural art from responsibly sourced British-grown timbers. Ensconced in the heart of Notting Hill, London, Flow gallery harbours contemporary craft makers and works in close collaboration with craftspeople to nurture valuable relationships with them and their practice. This time around, the exhibition space becomes a stage for a solo exhibition befittingly titled Ash & Plumb. The show running from March 31 to April 28, 2023, will explore the artists’ new collection of functional and sculptural wood pieces. "The work is a celebration of the imperfect, as much a collaborative process with each other as well as the material itself. We are drawn to weathered, beaten and aged finishes, specialising in the alchemy of patina and unique surface," the British artists say.

Ash & Plumb was established in June 2020 by the founders, who now work across both functional and sculptural mediums to contrive a contemporary translation of an ancient aesthetic. The intersection of opposing qualities becomes the protagonist in the rustic compositions. Their work, beyond being a reflection of who they are as individuals, is also what they represent as a creative, almost romantic partnership. The masculine and vigorous making process transitions into an increasingly fine and delicate treatment, culminating in an elegant and sinuous form. The precision associated with hollowing an unseasoned vessel contrasts the natural warp that emerges during the drying process. “Whilst our work is inherently collaborative, we are responsible for different aspects of the making process,” the sculpture artists share. “Barnaby is responsible for the turning and shaping of the work, followed by us both collaborating on the finishing process before Dru is responsible for any of the stitch-work that is required to celebrate any of the natural imperfections,” they add.

The forms that are encapsulated in the art exhibition showcase the artists’ inclination towards vessel-like silhouettes. Ash and Plumb are particularly attracted to vessels from the Neolithic era but not exclusively; many of their forms are interpretations of specific shapes they have discovered such as our Saxon Vessel or Funnel Jar which is named after the Funnel Beaker culture (4300 - 2800 BC). “There’s something about the vessel that we as humans appear to be intrinsically drawn to, a curiosity that also delights and fascinates us,” they explain.

The surfaces of the vessels abide by the artists’ creative preferences—imperfect and raw yet rich in character. The eroded surfaces carry the traces of the makers in subtle and unpredictable ways. “We relish in the imperfect as opposed to seeking otherwise—why fight the natural inclination of the wood? If it fractures, celebrate it and make it a feature that we can delight in as opposed to frustrate over,” they say. The vessels represent an indulgence in these imperfections—perhaps a more honest representation of the artists. To achieve the surface finishes, Ash and Plumb employ traditional techniques with a slight aberration. The techniques may range from the fundamental usage of fire to blacken and erode forms, to attaining different reactions with the naturally occurring tannins in the oak to give way to a leather-like coat.

“This collection is a playful exploration of form and finish and a celebration of the oak tree from which these vessels were hewn, featuring a recently developed softer natural finish alongside our established darker offerings,” Ash and Plumb say. The wood that fuels their practice is almost exclusively sourced locally, either from local sawmills, trees that have fallen due to disease, or arborists opting for material unsuitable for commercial use. The new collection was acquired from a rewilding project in Kent. The distinct presence of oak in the sculpture art speaks of the Sussex landscape that is home to the studio. Littered with breathtaking oak trees and hills that ebb and flow—a movement that is reproduced in the vessels.

Injecting the ground of contemporary art with a seam of the past—with all its imperfection—Ash & Plumb delineate the collision of diverse artistic languages. Their collaboration with Flow Gallery rests on the foundation of an ethos that aligns apropos of craftsmanship, breathing life into sculptures that are unassuming yet poignant—reiterating the intimate, the handmade and the singular.

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