Wilder than Wildness Itself

‘For me, garden design isn’t just about plants, it is about emotion, atmosphere, a sense of contemplation. You try to move people with what you do. You look at this, and it goes deeper than what you see. It reminds you of something in the genes — nature, or the longing for nature.’—Piet Oudolf

Five acclaimed artist-makers including QEST Carole Bamford Scholar Alice Walton have originated new multidisciplinary works in response to Oudolf Field, a 1.5-acre perennial meadow designed by Piet Oudolf at Hauser & Wirth Somerset. A living canvas, the garden passes from the vigour of the growing season to the poignancy of decay. In summer Oudolf Field embraces movement and energy, each plant, grass and flowerhead alive with their own gravity and tension.  In winter texture and tone form abstract compositions. The works presented evoke the immersive experience of the garden, drawing upon Oudolf’s philosophy that rather than copying nature, the intention is to create a feeling, deepening our connection with its seasons and cycles. ‘Wilder than Wildness itself’ explores the duality of the ephemeral and the permanent. Deeply personal works in resin, glass, textile and clay reflect a unique visual aesthetic, the progression of time, the passage of life and perceptions of beauty.