Much of my process, the way I work, is very physical and I love all that physical exertion.
Max Bainbridge’s sculptural works carved from wood, reflect a need to create a tangible and grounded presence though the physicality of the sculpted object in space. Working with trees in their entirety Bainbridge seeks out wood that has fallen where it once grew, forming direct and intimate connections to land and place through his recognition of the tree as a being that can occupy both our inner psyche and the physical character of its former site. In doing so, his search for the true essence of the tree is ever present within the form of his large-scale vessels and free-standing sculptures that echo their past life across surface and form. For each work he takes the natural shape and character of the tree itself and responds to it directly, allowing the inherent agency of the wood to push back and inform sculptural decision-making as he works.
Max is part of the duo Forest + Found with partner Abigail Booth, they met at Chelsea College of Art. Although their practices are different, both use the forest and the found materials in it as their starting point. Walks through the woods offer them a variety of materials and inspiration. Whilst Abigail collects bark, roots, branches and stones for her works, Max finds felled trees, large trunks or pieces of wood to turn into sculptural vessels.
Born in London in 1991, Max Bainbridge studied Fine Art at Chelsea College of Art, where he graduated in 2013 as a photographer and sculptor.