Sculptors extol the virtues of wood at this arts and crafts haven

A unique event takes places in the Scottish Borders this weekend, themed on wood. The symposium and exhibition of work by prestigious makers and craftspeople will be held at Marchmont House, Greenlaw, near Duns, and is hosted by Hugo Burge in collaboration with the Scottish Gallery and Visual Arts Scotland.

Burge, who made his fortune in the online travel booking industry, has led a highly successful project to restore the Grade A listed Palladian mansion, which was built by the 3rd Earl of Marchmont in 1750. Marchmont House was purchased by Burge’s father, Oliver, in 2006 and was previously owned by the Sue Ryder Foundation. The restoration project, completed two years ago, has won numerous accolades and used the skills of local craftsmen and women.

Burge, 47, attended Bedales School in the 1980s and it was there, inspired by the Ernest Gimson Library and the head of design David Butcher, that he acquired his love of craftsmanship and woodworking. The rush seat chairs in the Marchmont library, in particular, have become an icon of the arts and crafts movement. One of the best known exponents of this craft, Lawrence Neal, will attend Conversations in Wood, where he will discuss his work and apprenticeships.

Other exhibitors will include the sculptor David Nash, the jeweller Beth Legg, the painter and object maker Lucilla Sim, and Naomi McIntosh who uses spalted sycamore to create complex, interlocking sculptural forms in a large scale. Many of the 19 artists will discuss their work in talks and lectures.

Nash, who is based in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, came to prominence in the 1970s and is best known for his ability to work with the inherent qualities of wood. His most famous work, Wooden Boulder, begun in 1977, is an enormous sphere carved from oak which the artist pushed into the the upper reaches of the River Dwyryd. The boulder’s long journey came to a mysterious end when it vanished from the river’s estuary in 2015. Several of Nash’s monumental charred wooden forms will form part of the extensive exhibition inside Marchmont. Burge, more a facilitator than philanthropist, will surely view these as opening remarks in a conversation about the role of the arts and crafts in a technological society.

Conversations in Wood, Marchmont House, Aug 3-5, marchmonthouse.com