Art meets nature in Knoll Gardens

Art meets nature in a new project that sees Bournemouth-based Inga Street take up the role of artist-in-residence at Knoll Gardens in Wimborne.

A graduate in fine art from Central St Martins in London, Inga’s work includes painting, drawing, sculpture, portraiture, photography and installations. She has exhibited in London at Camden Arts Centre, The Crypt Gallery and Bermondsey Arts Project. Her work is held in private collections both in the UK and internationally.

“As an artist I’m attracted to Knoll Gardens by its unusually natural and informal structure,” commented Inga, “it has an uncontrived and intuitive feel to the planting. Coupled with the idyllic location, it creates a beautifully serene environment – almost magical. Every viewpoint offers inspiration.

“I’ll be visiting the garden over the coming weeks and months and using my observations and interaction with Knoll’s patterns, textures and sounds to generate ideas and emotions that I can channel into new artworks and hopefully, add a new dimension to the appreciation of this glorious space.”

Inga’s fascination with gardens stems from regular visits to Kew Gardens in west London, which she described as her muse. She is interested in the fabric-like layers in nature and in particular branch-like forms and reflections and will now be taking inspiration from Knoll in developing a range of 2D work.

Knoll’s relationship with Inga grew out of an invitation by its charitable arm, the Knoll Gardens Foundation, to local art groups to visit the gardens. Peter Gear, the Foundation’s Chair of Trustees, said, “This is an entirely new departure for the Foundation and I’m excited at the prospect of seeing how such an established and respected artist as Inga uses the garden to inspire and inform her work.”