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BBC Wales and Pixel Foundary announce a new film on David Nash to be released Spring 2012

BBC Wales has commissioned a documentary about the international artist David Nash.

Of particular interest in this film will be David's relationship with the landscape of Meirionnydd and particularly the amazing shapes created by the slate industry around Blaenau Ffestiniog. The work that David Nash produces has been infused with a deep understanding of his materials, the place where he lives and the traditional working methods of its people, the crafts and skills used and developed over generations in agriculture and slate mining, now quickly being lost.

David Nash and tree specialists from ALFA Tree Services being filmed hauling a tree out of a river above Maentwrog. Photograph by Melanie Moeser.

David starts work on site. Photograph Melanie Moeser.

The ethical sourcing of David Nash's material is a central element to the work. And appropriately we've choosen to film an example of such an event as the opening sequence to the documentary. The tree becoming available through natural causes is of more value to David, even with the added cost to extract it, than a tree becoming available due to commercial harvesting.

Alan 'Ginger' Farrar ALFA Tree Services the tree surgeon in the river dissecting the fallen tree. Photograph Melanie Moeser.

Iolo Wyn Hughes and Paul Smith of ALFA Tree Services use old school levers and pulleys to haul out the huge logs. Photo Melanie Moeser.

New Nash sculptures and filming continues. Photo Melanie Moeser.

David has sourced trees in this way all around the world. A number of sculptures are made on site (David calls these 'Wood Quarries) - and as the trees only become available when they're blown over by wind, die of natural causes or have to be removed due to safety considerations - David has found himself working in some inaccessible places, high up a mountain above the snow line where a large tree had fallen in Japan for instance. This makes the logistics a part of the art as well as the aesthetics.

Pixel Foundry will be working with Pete Telfer directing, Jon Rees on camera and Richard Gott on sound. The film is being shot on full High Definition media. The documentary is due to be aired sometime in the Spring of next year.

Thanks to Pete Telfer at Pixel Foundary

Full article at Culture Colony

Thanks for pictures by Melanie Moeser

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