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Into the woods: 'Trees' a glimpse into the natural world through a forest of works
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Trees release oxygen for our breath, add nutrients to the soil, shade us from the sun, reduce carbon emissions and captivate us with their beauty.
They are the lungs of the earth.
Richard Levy Gallery director Viviette Hunt lives surrounded by trees in Tesuque. When she heard about the Let鈥檚 Plant sa国际传媒官网网页入口 program, she curated a show about trees. The initiative is dedicated to planting 100,000 new saplings in the city by 2030.
Into the woods: 'Trees' a glimpse into the natural world through a forest of works
Hunt gathered a group of artists whose work has centered around the natural world. Their works range from installation to photography, painting and sculpture. Additionally, Let鈥檚 Plant sa国际传媒官网网页入口 will give away 100 trees to visitors during the artist reception on Friday, Sept. 6.
The Chicago-based Mary Farmilant鈥檚 site-specific installation 鈥淐ome to the woods, for here is rest.鈥� consists of photographs on silk charmeuse. The piece greets visitors as they enter the gallery.
Farmilant captured images in the old growth forest of Lac du Flambeau in northern Wisconsin. The area encompasses the ancestral homelands of her husband鈥檚 Ojibwe people. Farmilant aims to evoke the sense of wonder and quiet stillness that green spaces offer, even in the midst of city centers.
鈥淭he visitors have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the images,鈥� Hunt said.
Santa Fe鈥檚 Lawrence Fodor created 鈥淭ree 11B: Sunset Crater National Monument, 2024.鈥� Fodor is known for his work on the fragility of the natural world and climate change.
鈥淗e鈥檚 always played with abstraction with a thematic focus on nature,鈥� Hunt said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a painting of trees on a photograph with the trees layered together.鈥�
Santa Fe鈥檚 Munson Hunt carved 鈥淪plit Spheres鈥� from bleached Douglas fir, resin and wax.
鈥淪he finds wood from trees that have expired,鈥� Hunt said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 reclaimed a Douglas fir from the Los Alamos fire of 2005.鈥�
The artist brushes resin on the top to resemble a frosted layer.
Santa Fe鈥檚 Oliver Polzin painted 鈥淥pisthokonts II鈥� using gouache on clayboard. He creates mystical landscapes as an exploration of animism and the human connection to the natural world.
鈥淗e鈥檚 also a founding member of Meow Wolf,鈥� Hunt said. 鈥淚 see it as the spiritual essence of trees.鈥�
Johnny DeFeo鈥檚 version of northern New Mexico-meets-van Gogh, 鈥淟ast Minute of the Seco Sunset,鈥� is an acrylic on birch panel.
鈥淗e鈥檚 interested in exploring the landscape from a non-human perspective,鈥� Hunt said.
The Korean American artist J P shot an 8-minute video of a ceremony for a cottonwood. S(he) climbed the tree every day for three months.
鈥淪(he) builds relationships with trees like s(he) builds relationships with humans,鈥� Hunt said.
The artist draped its branches with ropes, ribbons and fabric. The ceremony incorporated aspects of Korean traditions honoring sacred trees.
鈥淚n the 鈥�20s and 鈥�30s, there was a city initiative to plant trees,鈥� Hunt said of sa国际传媒官网网页入口. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how a lot of the elm trees originated.鈥�
Many of those trees are sick or dying, particularly the cottonwoods, she said.
鈥淚鈥檓 super interested in learning about the health of trees through this exhibit,鈥� she added. 鈥淚鈥檓 always a fan for looking out for a good cause.鈥�
