My body of work explores the ghosts of felled trees and the humans that cut them down. Tree rings and the grain of wood are the physical expression of the long, slow growth process that trees experience through seasons and years. The only way to see all the tree rings is to cut the tree to get a flat plane to view the timeline of the tree’s life. The human hand, industry, and technology are evident in this process. With attention to form, craft, and construction, I map the temporal life of the tree and reconnect it to the memory of its whole form and community. I explore tree rings, wood grain, and milling patterns on different mass-produced materials like cardboard, glass, and paper to address the tension between humanity, industry, and nature, because trees are directly and indirectly used to make these industrial products.
In a series of works on paper, I create imprints of tree rings with ash. I gather old growth logs, cut milling patterns and burned them, and take a print of the ash on paper. The result is a ghostly, embossed, charcoal print of the rings juxtaposed with the linear geometric milling pattern. The natural, curvy grain formation in lumber is decontextualized from the life of a tree once it is used for building or craft.
Hollow(ed) is my most recently installation that addresses scientific research and theories about ecological interconnectivity. It is an immersive installation of a dystopian forest of felled tree stumps made from laser-etched cardboard boxes surrounded by fossilized organic materials. The fossils are created out of organic matter that is coated in gypsum, concrete, and clay, all materials that are mined from the earth, to create pathways through and around the cardboard stumps. The viewer must navigate and interact with the fragile environment to view it. The pop and snap of the inevitable destruction of the fossils makes the viewer distinctly aware of their body and its interaction with art and the environment.
I am interested in material and temporal processes of industry and capitalism and their interaction with the planet, because it is imperative for the future of the health of every species to change the status quo.
