Description
The Elm Tree (mural) is composed of two-hundred and sixty small sheets of Kozo paper made by the artist. Each sheet is ink-jet printed with a fragment of the image. Together they create a composite black and white image of an elm tree. The photograph of the tree near Lachute, Québec was taken by the artist. Each sheet is pinned to the wall with two straight pins. Like leaves in a tree, the pages are sensitive to any movement of air and flutter perceptibly when viewers pass by or the ventilation system is activated.
The Elm Tree (mural) est composé de deux cent soixante petites feuilles de papier Kozo fabriquées par l’artiste. Chaque feuille est imprimée au jet d’encre avec un fragment de l’image. Ensemble, ils créent une image composite en noir et blanc d’un orme. La photographie de l’arbre près de Lachute, au Québec, a été prise par l’artiste. Chaque feuille est fixée au mur à l’aide de deux épingles droites. Comme les feuilles d’un arbre, les pages sont sensibles à tout mouvement d’air et s’agitent de manière perceptible au passage des spectateurs ou lorsque le système de ventilation est activé.
Statement
This elm tree was the inspiration for several works on paper and has a special place in my heart. The species is large with a graceful, umbrella-shaped tree form. Like this tree, one often finds a single elm in the middle of a field – the farmer having chosen to plant around it rather than cut it down. The American Elm has been attacked a lot by disease, so when you find one that has managed to resist it, it’s impressive. I see elms as a symbol of art and the artist in society.
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Karen Trask, 2024