Research Part 5

Tree Structure

There is a lot of on-line information about ‘the life and / or study of trees’. There are articles that investigate macro and micro characteristics, cultivation and management, biology, arboriculture, dendrology and dendrochronology, some or even much of which is scientific and way above my head or, mind blowingly boring.

However, patience and determination have paid off and my initial intrigue with tree rings has led further to that of the tree structure as a whole, how it is made up, its cells and differing layers and to some extent the stories that a tree can tell.

The list could be endless, branching out in all directions! Excuse the pun, but I can see that discipline will be required to concentrate on a particular theme for research at this point in time.

Tree Stories

Local to me, in the New Forest, there is currently a project to record historical marks on trees, (tree graffiti). Many of these marks go back over the centuries, others are more recent, they may just be dates and initials, mates out for a laugh, lovers recording their commitment to each other, or WW2 soldiers waiting to be sent to war. There are also hunting marks, witches’ marks, even admiralty marks that identify trees chosen for ship building. All bear evidence of the interaction between tree and human and give each one a story.

https://www.newforestnpa.gov.uk/news/search-is-on-for-historic-tree-graffiti-in-the-new-forest/

Tree Rings

Tree rings, in particular record this journey through time, they could be defined as a unique footprint that captures the individuality of each tree. In some ways they remind me of the topographic landscapes of the contour lines and cartographic marks on a map, a footprint across the land and nature. Cut a cross section and you will see a story that reveals pattern, colour and highlights (to the dendrochronologist), a chequered history through time, season and climate. Each line, crack, ring, mark and fissure whether natural or man made builds towards the story that a tree has to tell.

Tree Bark

The protective layer, its armour suit.It protects against disease and insects and comes in arrays of colour, thickness and textures, from the paper thin barks of the birch and cherry to the thick lumpy bark of the oak or hairy bark of the pine.

Tree Cells

If the bark is the armour, then the tree cells are the life support system, carrying moisture and nutrients through the body of the tree, these cells help create the ring structure throughout each season. Cells represent the living, the dying, the dead.

https://www.thoughtco.com/trunk-biology-1343512 [accessed 20/4/2020]

The cell patterns, in the above photo, and my propensity for steering a path towards ‘the circle’ has awakened some ideas, ideas of which can be seen in my sketchbook and development work.

Other Tree Terminlogy

Xylem – Transports water & minerals from the roots up through the plant
Phloem – Moves food substances produced in photosynthesis
Cambium – found in the area between xylem and phloem, parallel rows of cells.
Growth – New growth happens nearest the bark

The Meaning of a Circle

Already it would appear that I am branching out… however, at this stage I feel that all are related and will lead to a more common goal. After all ring and cells are in essence formed of circles.

Research will find numerous ‘meanings’, ‘interpretations’ and ‘symbolism’s. The Greeks considered the circle to represent symmetry and balance in nature and throughout history research shows that circles have meant the sacred, divinity, cycles of time, for example Medieval farming circles.

Today the circle is often used to represent and symbolise the nature of energy, life, unity, and infinity; It is the shape of the earth, it has no beginning, no end.

The Mesmerizing Microscopy of Trees: Otherworldly Images Revealing the Cellular Structure of Wood Specimens:

These photos are a very small selection of specimen slides curated by the American wood collector Archie F.Wilson. These slides have been taken from arboreal specimens from all over the world and the cells can vary from each individual tree and plant not just species.

Many look like works of art in themselves and I can visualise opportunities for both textile and printmaking with a nudge towards the abstract and pattern. In my sketchbook I have included suggested fabrics that I could use (alongside photocopies) to replicate some of these structures.

www.brainpickings.org/2018/10/11/archie-f-wilson-wood-specimens/ [accessed 17/04/2020]

Loraine Roy

The work of Loriane (a textile artist ) is inspired by trees, she draws her ideas from the biology, mythology, culture, and the symbolic nature of trees. She sees the growth and development of tree rings as life, which she records as a historical journey for each tree she sees, how it grew, developed and endured it’s life.

With textiles she layers and stitches fabrics as a representation of life, there is no definite planning, she is guided by the layers, colours and textures of the fabric and thread that is to hand and her imagination takes her on a journey as she creates.

http://www.lroyart.com/

Marita Putetti

Marita Putetti looks for inspiration in all manner of art forms and in the below works reveals an obsession with trees. Her patterns and exploration of cells which she likens to the celestial patterns of stars and the crossing paths that create both negative and positive space.

Her series ‘Tree Rings’ examines and records rings and plant cells using various mediums in an abstract manner; mainly in oils and acrylics, but also in paper collage. Cells, rings, splits, gaps are all recorded with numerous different marks and techniques, often in vibrant and bright colours, these works have given me the encouragement to do similar when developing my work for this project.

https://www.maritaputetti.com [accesses 17/04/2020]

Bryan Nash Gill

Gill created relief prints from cross sections of trees; he likened himself to a dendrologist that was drawn to irregularities such as insect holes, burls, splits and oddities in bark growth that revealed the hidden world within the arboreal ring. Each one of his prints tells the story of the tree that he sources, capturing its uniqueness and individuality.

Chosen trees and branches are prepared by sawing a cross section, sanding and burning before sealing with shellac and inking, ….. and then hand printing onto Japanese rice paper, thus recording the story of the contours and ridges from tree to paper.

While some of the above works are relief prints, others are from etching or monoprint series. There is no definitive indication as to which processes are used on most of the works, but certainly its recorded that In the Woods II is dry point with chine colle. Where as Rondell appears to be printed in black and then overprinted in white ink. I particularly like Rainbow Bark II, a monoprint with differing sections of wood grain that supply texture and then coloured with another layer, that I assume to be chine colle to reflect the colours of an autumnal forest.

http://www.bryannashgill.com/ [accesses 17/04/2020]

Michele Brown

I wasn’t planning to discover this artist in my research, but one thing leads to another in an internet search. Using monoprint, acrylic and collage, Michele creates works that are often bold, colourful and abstract.

I find that many of her works are too crowded and busy, see ‘Colourscape’ below as an example, too many things going on for the eye and brain to compute.

Maybe some of theses these works are a lesson in ‘not how to do something’! However there are some inspiring forms, colour and texture that can be extracted from viewing her works. I like the way that the circles in ‘Collage’ appear to float above the background image and in Green Arch the viewer peers into the print through the round window.

http://oldcellsstudio.blogspot.com/search/label/circles [accessed 25/04/2020]

Dorothy Hanna

I have at a late stage in this course come across the work of this artist, a printmaker that prefers to work with the uniqueness of individual prints, without plans or sketches she allows her ideas to develop with each pressing, each new layer is a response to the marks that have been made before. Working mainly in monoprint, she builds layers of ink on the plate, passes the layer through the press and then repeats time and again to reach a finished result. Chine Collé is often added to one of the layers as her ideas develop.

I was interested to know what inspired Dorothy to work in circles as this seems to be a recurring theme in her work and appears to be coming one of mine. I couldn’t find the answer on-line so decided to ask her myself.

I posed the question: What inspires you to work in circles, for example ‘song circle night’ and dropstones?

I really can’t say it’s one particular thing. I have been making art for over 40 years and circles have often been a feature. I’m drawn to them in all sorts of ways and don’t feel the need to question that too much. People often want to know what work is about and as an artist it isn’t always possible to articulate exactly what it is. One of my early prints was titled Instead of Words and really that could be applied to all my work. Enjoy what you do. Dorothy.

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