Mark Reddy is a contemporary maker and artist living in the UK. Reddy looks to nature for the roots of our co-evolution, sourcing organic materials on daily walks along the lost ways and through the woodlands of Somerset. A modern-day gatherer and storyteller, he is drawn to the found and foraged reimagined through the subtle intervention of the artist’s hand. He retrieves storm felled wood, a broken limb of sycamore or maple, spiny blackthorn or a knotted burl with which to explore humankind’s deep association with the land and the totemic power of the tree.
What was the inspiration for your Steinbeisser pieces?
A deep connection and understanding of the land and its seasonal cycles drives the desire to make forms that resonate with nature and the human.
Describe your work in 3 words!
Intuitive. Figurative. Organic.
What kind of materials do you use and where do you get them from?
All work is fashioned from organic material gathered in the winter months on daily walks through fields and woods of rural Somerset immediately surrounding the studio.
Which conscious lifestyle choices are you making and are you considering any new ones?
Striving for a simple and meaningful way of life remains the driving force, planting, nurturing, growing, fashioning and creating.
What have you rebelled against in the past and what are you rebelling against now?
Avoiding predetermination and perfection. Understanding and revelation come without conscious reasoning.