Trees and other plants Taking pictures of trees is a way for me to notice the grace and rhythm of nature. I look for movement and pattern, stops and starts, reactions and resilience in these life forms that often outlive us by two or three times, or more. I am not looking for perfect examples of anything, a perfect pear tree, a perfect oak. But a birch that is struggling to keep growing will get my attention. There was one such mammoth white birch near where I live, which finally collapsed after a very harsh winter. It was a sad event and sadder still to see it cut up and taken away. White birches usually have short lives but this one was old. Drawing and burning associated images of adaptation and natural life force onto plywood, a highly processed wood, for me amplifies the contradiction between what is natural and what is constructed, fabricated wood, part tree, part glue.
Brett S. Poza threadeater@gmail.com @theboneartist