Unusual art gallery in Hampshire forest takes creativity back to its roots

For hundreds of years, the three acres of open space and 24 acres of woodland at Little Forest has grown organically.

But now the Little Forest Land Art team are working in harmony with nature to create a unique art space for artists and visitors alike.

‘It’s about inspiring people,’ says Jan Griffiths, artist and curator of Little Forest Land Art.

The project, which formally began in 2016, took root 10 years ago when Adrian Mundy and Jan kept bumping into each other at art exhibitions in Portsmouth.

Adrian, 49, says: ‘I have had agoraphobia for 22 years now and I was just starting to get out. Jan and I were the only people who turned up to the first four events at Aspex Gallery.

‘She was a friendly face and she saved me from running out scared. We gained friendship from there which has continued.

‘As I have been able to get out more I took tentative steps under the security of other people.’

Preceding the Land Art Project, the 2014 Growing Exhibition Project, curated by Adrian, displayed artworks created from plants.

Adrian smiles and says: ‘But when I could finally get over here, things changed.’

Adrian, while at one of Jan’s Art in the Garden events in 2016, collected twigs and put them around the base of an oak tree.

‘It looked great and I took a photograph.

‘I came back a couple of days later and the animals had rearranged it which we had to deal with,’ he explains.

‘And that’s how it started.’

Jan, who was born in Liverpool and is a professional ceramicist, owns the 27 acres of Little Forest woodland, and gallery space.

She says: ‘I just love this open space. It feels like my natural home somehow.

‘I worked for IBM in computers but it’s always been my dream to have an artistic career.

‘It’s difficult to earn a living as an artist though.’

Little Forest is an ancient woodland, Jan explains, and was originally part of Bere Forest, which was part of King HenryVIII’s old hunting ground.

‘Over the years it’s just got smaller and smaller as people have bought paddocks and houses, so this is an almost isolated slot called Little Forest – which is its formal name,’ she says.

Adrian believes it was useful for him as an artist to adapt to nature because he’s such a perfectionist.

He smiles and says: ‘Things have to be in straight lines or perfectly ordered.

‘That’s difficult when you’re dealing with wonky branches and animals destroying your artwork.

‘I enjoy the challenge now but I was a bit shocked to start with.’

Jan adds: ‘I admired that Adrian was taking steps to be in a different world.’

Together Jan and Adrian decided they wanted to do more artistic things outside.

‘At the moment we just work in this close perimeter but we have the opportunity to delve deeper into the forest.

‘We’re replanting and rewilding various areas as well as working artistically.

‘Interest grew organically and everyone brought their own ideas.

‘We had more and more people visiting the site and then suddenly people like Carrie Shepherd appeared with great interest and we wanted to build the number of people and expertise as well.’

Every fortnight the Land Art Team of 10 volunteers meets to clear the land and work to create sculptures, landforms and natural models.

Jan opens up her home to the public for two weeks in June and one week in the autumn so they can explore the art works.

Gardener Carrie, 58, is one of the volunteers and says she enjoys the social aspect of the project.

‘I definitely enjoy the social side and working with other people. I’m a gardener and used to working on my own quite a lot.

‘This place is so special. The woodland is very still because it’s so undisturbed and there has been no human intervention for such a long time.

‘This is not your traditional garden, it’s more of a wild space.’

Jan explains: ‘It’s the balance of maintaining the land and creating art.

‘If we did not maintain the land, we would have nowhere to display the art.

‘When we meet every couple of weeks, we always spend a few hours just clearing things.’

Jan, 66, says: ‘I can’t do this on my own. I need people to help outside to keep the brambles at bay.

‘I can’t see me ever not enjoying this.

‘Even if I can’t do things physically myself then I can still support others.’

The Little Forest Land Art team enjoy the ever-changing tasks nature throws at them.

With their wellie boots and raincoats on and secateurs in hand, this hardy bunch don’t let the elements dampen their passion for art and wildlife.

‘When you work on your own and are studio-based most of the time, it’s really nice to go and be with other people,’ says Jan.

‘A lot of the time the artworks are transitory but it’s an open-ended challenge.

‘The light changes, the canopy changes and the leaves change.’

Adrian adds: ‘It’s like our own little family now.

‘I have lived in Portsmouth all of my life and it’s just buildings and the sea. Getting out of the city, working with other people, and being creative is good for me.’

An artistic opportunity

Little Forest Land Art founders Jan Griffiths and Adrian Mundy are on the hunt for an exciting artwork to feature on the Fourth Plinth tree stump.

The annual art competition offers the winning local artist a chance to display their artwork in the 2020 exhibition and a production fund of up to £500. The judges are Stuart Rodda, exhibitions organiser at Southampton City Art Gallery; Lia Traxler, artist and 2019 winner; plus Jan and Adrian. The closing date is January 20.

The team are also looking for artists, gardeners, bramble bashers, chainsaw operators, woodland management experts, drone pilots, fungi identifiers, stewards and even just tea-makers.

For more information on the competition and volunteering, go to littleforestlandart.co.uk.