Industrial Nature, 2023

The work Industrial Nature is part of one of the latest series of sculptures by Tony Cragg, in which he creates a multifaceted dialogue between nature and technology. The predominantly large-format works in aluminium or bronze show his ongoing interest in the nexus between industrial materials and organic forms.

The work is constructed out of vast sculptural forms of cast aluminium that twist and overlap like abstract blooms or corals, embodying what Cragg describes as “the collision and fusion of organic and artificial elements”. This collision shows Tony Cragg’s artistic bravery, as the works do not simply merge two vocabularies (organic and industrial) in isolation, but rather explore their interdependence. Through poetic form and material innovation, the artist invites viewers to rethink what it means for something to be “natural” or “technological.”