Making Oculus Block

Oculus Block (2010, eucalyptus)

See Oculus Block at Kew Gardens, as part of the David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery exhibition.

The eucalyptus trunk that became Oculus Block

Oculus Block originally weighed 25 tonnes and each cut took a day just to mark up.

Marking up the first cut on Oculus Block

Nash wanted to cut each side of Oculus Block in one smooth line.

Nash's carving tools

Because the tree was so massive, Nash's team had to make a bespoke chainsaw that would reach right across, to cut a smooth line.

Carving Oculus Block

‘Oculus’ is Latin for eye; in this context it refers to a space that runs down the centre of the wood between the multiple trunks that have fused together.

Carving Oculus Block

Nash sourced the wood for this imposing sculpture near a site he was working at in northern California. His original aim was to find wood for a series of huge spheres. But this piece – four eucalyptus trunks naturally fused together – suggested a square form.

Removing the end slab of Oculus Block

Eucalyptus, the material from which Oculus Block is made, are native to Australia, Tasmania and the surrounding islands. The species was first introduced to the rest of the world in the 1700s.

Carving Oculus Block

Eucalyptus trees were widely planted in California to provide fuel for locomotives, there being no coal on the west coast.

Carving Oculus Block

Nash discovered the wood for Oculus Block because this tree was being cut down as part of a programme to eradicate eucalyptus in California.

Transporting Oculus Block

Oculus Block required a wide-load escort to the wood yard.