Laura Ellen Bacon works wonders with willow. She weaves it, twists it and knots it into organic sculptures on a monumental scale which in the past few years have graced, among others, Chatsworth in Derbyshire, London’s Somerset House and the Denver Art Museum in the US.
This spring and summer, her works star in two different exhibitions: she is one of six artists creating site-specific installations for Ground/Work 2025 at The Clark Art Institute in Williamstown, Massachusetts, US; and, closer to home, she is showing Into Being, a vast new sculpture, at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park near Wakefield in West Yorkshire (April 5–September 7). Not bad for a child who started with dens made of raspberry canes at her parents’ fruit farm.
- It took some 80 bundles of Dicky Meadows, a Somerset willow, to form Into Being
- Its organic shape suggests natural elements, such as cocoons, seed pods and burrows
- Yet, the sculpture also responds to the architecture of the 18th-century chapel in which it is displayed
- Measuring nearly 20 ft long and 10 ft high, it allows visitors to stand in its curls and folds
- At the end of the exhibition, Into Being will be taken apart and turned into wildlife habitats
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Merlins: Britain's smallest bird of prey is a 'swerving, zigzagging, 240mph weighted missile' that's gutsy enough to chase off a golden eagleSize doesn’t matter when it comes to the fighting spirit of the tiny merlin, a fierce parent and favoured hunting accessory of Mary, Queen of Scots.
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The greatest moment in the life of Jessie Owens: Country Life Quiz of the Day, June 13, 2025Breathtaking athleticism and Shakespeare's birthday are among the questions in the final quiz of the week.
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David Beckham to guest edit Country Life'I am looking forward to celebrating what the countryside means to me and my family,' says David Beckham as he gets ready to edit Country Life's issue of October 22, 2025.
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Sophia Money-Coutts: How do you turn down another godchild without causing offence?Sophia Money-Coutts is the new Debrett's and she's here every Wednesday to set some modern etiquette wrongs, right.
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'I spent 84 years living in the countryside, and have just moved to a city. Here's what I've discovered.'Charles Moseley has lived in a small village in Cambridgeshire for decades, but now he’s made the leap with his wife to the cathedral city of Ely, the subject of his latest book.
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From the Country Life archive: The St Michael’s Mount Barge long oarsmenEvery Monday, Melanie Bryan, delves into the hidden depths of Country Life's extraordinary archive to bring you a long-forgotten story, photograph or advert.
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What was Andy Warhol really like? The Newlands House Gallery exhibition shows the artist like never beforeThe exhibition, in Petworth, West Sussex, shows the many layers behind the artist's public persona.
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Quirky ceramics, Carey Mulligan and Greece: Lucy Williams's consuming passionsThe content creator, and brand ambassador and consultant reveals why she loves stories about 'normal' people and the podcast she listens to on repeat.
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Sophia Money-Coutts: When is a thank you letter still mandatory and when will a voice note (under a minute, please!) suffice
Sophia Money-Coutts is the new Debrett's and she's here every Wednesday to set some modern etiquette wrongs, right.
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The Salt Path: The 630-mile trail that saved one couple’s life and inspired Britain to lace up its walking shoesRaynor and Moth Winn were homeless and battling terminal illness when they made the decision to walk the South West Coast Path — and now Raynor’s best-selling book has been adapted for the big screen.
