Napa Ladders

Napa Ladders was made in California, from an evergreen species of oak.

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Photo: Napa Ladders by David Nash

Napa Ladders in the Temperate House at Kew Gardens

Date and material

  • 1990
  • Californian oak 

For every civilisation, wood is a fundamental survival material for building, defending, cooking and so much more.

David Nash

Reflecting our relationship with wood

Tables, ladders, chairs and shelters – these basic human survival tools and utensils all recur in Nash's work. Ladders are practical tools but Napa Ladders are symbolic objects. To Nash, they have taken on forms that allude to people's dependence on wood. They almost look like they are staggering, wobbly, but also on the point of standing up and running.

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