Symphony in Wood

Driftwood, nature’s spontaneous creations, can lend an artistic touch to your living space, says Prabhat Kumar

Our lives can yield pleasure in so many ways. It would be interesting if we had an aesthetic taste in artistic creations and natural surroundings. Art changes its style from time to time. In modern times, it has become trendy and fashionable. One’s imagination may give birth to mind-blowing creations. It is, however, indisputable that Mother Nature’s finest creations are indescribably original and superbly creative. Driftwood sculptures are one such example of nature’s artistic offerings.

Driftwood can resemble animal forms. For instance, here it can be seen in the shape of a bear (below), lioness (top), and deer (right). —  Photos by the writer

They are nature’s spontaneous creations. Abanindranath Tagore, the great artist, was known for promoting this natural form of imaginative expression. S.S Bhatti, famous art critic, has called driftwood sculptures ‘art through imagination’. Nek Chand, creator of Rock Garden at Chandigarh, loves this art form and many such sculptures can be seen at his garden. Several exhibitions of driftwood sculptures have been held at Nahan, Paonta Sahib, Palampur, Shimla, Chandigarh, Kulu, Jalandhar, New Delhi and other places where art lovers have been enraptured by these natural creations—by their shapes and sizes.

You may call it weathered wood, which was found all around us more frequently in old times as compared to now. Wherever it is found, it undergoes a lot of changes due to climatic conditions—near the sea-bed, river banks, remote, undisturbed forests, ravines, hills, mountains, valleys, tea and coffee gardens and nullahs, remaining there for years together.

These unusual pieces of wood, washed away by rain and surging water waves, or buried in the soil and looking cracked and twisted assume various natural shapes. Slow and steady movements from one place to another gradually change the shapes of driftwood. Sometimes such pieces can be collected from kitchen roofs, bundle of firewood or wood stores. The discerning eye of creative persons sees nature’s creativity in them.

After the sculptures come to the artist, they are washed with water, exerting suitable pressure. The superfluous or rotten parts are removed imaginatively to reveal the hidden shapes or ideas. Cavities and hollow spaces in the pieces make them resemble many shapes like animals, sea creatures and others. After filling the driftwood dexterously and sanding and treating it with spirit or transparent wood polish, the artist infuses charm and beauty into the driftwood. Smooth shapes that range from animals and human figures to enigmatic abstractions attract attention naturally.

Collection of driftwood sculptures is an interesting experience. It provides a chance to relish the hidden beauty and charm of nature while one is roaming near sea beaches, hilly rivers and nullahs or in valleys and jungles. But one ought to have a keen eye, artistic sensibility and a little craftsmanship to take delight in these naturally sculpted pieces.

Driftwood sculptures should always be a single piece of wood without any joinery. Every driftwood piece is original and it cannot be duplicated. Some of the pieces can be multidimensional. Some artists join pieces to give shape to these sculptures, but this is not considered proper and reduces impact. The joining of pieces can be called wood arrangement (like flower arrangement) but not driftwood sculpting.

Driftwood can be painted in colour also, according to its shape. Flowerpots, plants, small trees, fresh flowers and dry jungle flowers can give natural company to driftwood. You can grow tiny plants, ferns, etc in some driftwood sculptures having deep hollow spaces. Every twisted wood, however, cannot be a driftwood sculpture.

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