St Edmund (found object), 1975

This extraordinary object was given to Jim Ede by a friend, John Catto, in 1975. When Catto first saw it, it was a burnt branch on a lightning-struck willow by the banks of the river Cam. Having noticed its human-like appearance, he cut it off and darkened the new wood revealed, otherwise leaving it as it still is. Aware of Jim’s love for natural objects, Catto thought that he would particularly appreciate this one. He named the piece St. Edmund because of its resemblance to medieval sculptures of the saint.