Outdoor bronzes

This group of sculptures are all cast in bronze from charred wood originals that would not have lasted outdoors.

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Title, date and material

Black Butt, 2011, bronze
King and Queen I, 2011, bronze
King and Queen II, 2008, bronze
Torso, 2011, bronze
Three Humps, 2007, bronze

Wood originals

All of these works have been cast from charred oak originals, apart from Black Butt, which was originally made from charred elm. You can see echoes of this burning process. For example, the hole at the top of King and Queen I is the remnant of a knot in the wood, which burnt through and fell out. Nash says, 'it animated them and made them figurative.' Look for the figurative appearance also in Torso; the curved hip, the gesture of the arm pointing.

Translating wood into bronze

Nash finds that his charred wood works 'translate into bronze much more satisfactorily; I never try to imitate a fresh oak colour.' Molten bronze is poured into casts to make these forms, to give them longevity outdoors. Each work is made in sections, which are then welded together. The foundry team then heat the metal surface and spray a chemical over it to produce a patina - the blackened effect which appears on the surface of the bronze. This is a highly skilled and labour intensive process. 'Black Butt was cast in 80 sections and took six months to complete,' says Nash.