Eleanor Lakelin
Pine Studies #1 2024
875,000 year old pine found at Happisburgh beach.
Cast pine rosin. Pine pitch glue (charcoal from Happisburgh pine and melted rosin). Linseed oil/turpentine finish.
H: 56 d: 29 cm
£22,000
To make an enquiry about this work please email robert@realworldconservation.org.uk
Listen to Eleanor Lakelin explaining Pine Studies #1:
Eleanor Lakelin is a British wood artist celebrated for her sculptural, organic forms that explore the relationship between time, nature, and material. Using wood as her primary medium, Lakelin’s work is deeply connected to the natural world and the cycles of life and decay, as she transforms the medium into intricate, expressive forms that emphasize texture, structure, and the inherent beauty of wood grain. Her pieces range from delicate vessels to larger, more monumental forms, often using fallen or sustainably sourced timber from trees such as cedar, oak, and horse chestnut. By working with wood in its most natural state, Lakelin captures the essence of the material, bringing to light its life history and the forces that have shaped it over time.
Lakelin’s work is known for its emphasis on surface texture, which she achieves through a highly skilled, labor-intensive process. She often carves, sands, and scorches the wood, accentuating its organic qualities and revealing hidden layers within the grain. This process creates a tactile experience, with textures that range from smooth, polished surfaces to rough, rugged landscapes that invite the viewer to touch and explore. By working with the grain rather than against it, Lakelin lets the material’s natural patterns guide her, producing forms that feel both organic and controlled, as if shaped by both human hands and natural forces.
A significant theme in Lakelin’s work is the concept of time and transformation. Many of her pieces evoke geological processes or erosion, reflecting the passage of time and the ways nature marks its presence on materials. Her vessels often resemble ancient artifacts or weathered rock formations, suggesting that they have been shaped by decades or even centuries of natural forces. This quality lends her work a timeless aspect, where each piece seems to contain a narrative of endurance, survival, and change, reflecting the life cycle of the trees from which they are carved.
Lakelin’s series *Vessels of Time* is particularly notable for its exploration of these themes, using aged wood to create hollowed forms that reveal the depth and complexity of the wood’s structure. The pieces are hollowed to extremely fine, delicate thicknesses, showcasing the fragility and resilience of the material. Her technique of sandblasting, carving, and turning results in forms that seem almost geological in nature, bridging the gap between natural and sculptural forms.
Eleanor Lakelin’s work has garnered international acclaim, with her pieces exhibited in major galleries worldwide. She has become an influential figure in contemporary wood art, recognized for her ability to capture the passage of time and the beauty of imperfection within natural materials, highlighting the dialogue between human artistry and the natural world.