The Story Behind...Remembering Trees

When I decided to focus 2020 on trees, one issue I knew I'd explore was climate change. Remembering Trees is my first look at the issue through trees and art.

My question was, "If we lost all our trees, how would we remember them?"

The world would be in a, ahem, world of hurt.

Putting aside some of the devastation humans would be dealing with, I went surreal and wondered if we'd treat trees like extinct species. Would we build life-size structures and put them in a museum so people could visit and learn about them? What would we make those structures out of? What if we weren't sure what bark looked like?

From those questions came trees made of a variety of material. I used glass, black marble, brushed aluminum, copper patina, and a variety of rocks to construct the trees. I used an English Oak for the model of each. Then, surrounded it all with a glass and metal-grid dome, imagining a peaceful walk littered with flowers. Artificial trying to imitate life.

Climate change is an issue here to stay with us, and must be addressed more determinedly than society is doing right now. I offer Remembering Trees as a future I don't want to come true.