Kristaps Gulbis came to Grizedale in 1997 and made only one sculpture; '1250 Willows In A Coniferous Forest'. Sometimes called simply '1250 Willows' (the name refers to the amount of willow branches used in its construction), it was situated in the dense wall of sitka spruce that used to blanket the side of the forest road when approaching Carron Crag from the north. I saw it in its complete form only once. When I next passed a year or two later, one of the trees had fallen away, causing the sculpture to be pulled apart. The next time I visited the site, nothing remained of it at all.

 

Gulbis is, to my knowledge, the only sculptor from Latvia to have worked in Grizedale. In 1999 he took up residency at the McColl Center for Art and Innovation in Charlotte, North Carolina for a few months, and their website has this to say about him:

 

"Kristaps Gulbis is a sculptor, who lives and works in Latvia. Wood, metal, stone and living plants are his chosen materials. He considers his work to be a collaborative effort between himself and the environment... Creating works in the open air and in unspoiled nature, he is interested in environments where the presence of mankind can be felt."

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Incidentally, thanks must go to 'Blind Wall' creator Charlie Poulsen for the pictures. It would seem Charlie is one of the few people to have photographed the sculpture in its completed state.