Finding the Mother Tree
My current work is based on the book by Suzanne Simard, ‘Finding the Mother Tree’. This is an ongoing series of drypoint etchings with chine collé and lithographic layers on selected pieces. The photograph below shows the series as exhibited at Paintworks, Bristol as part of the MA Showcase. Prints from this series have been exhibited at Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Wells Art Contemporary, Spike Open, The Gallery at Green and Stone, Bainbridge Open and others.
Mother Tree series exhibited at Paintworks, Bristol - Jan 2023.
This body of work is based on the book by Suzanne Simard, ‘Finding the Mother Tree’. This book details her discovery of the ectomycorrhizal fungal network under the forest floor, the so called the ‘wood-wide-web’ connecting individual trees, protecting seedlings from infection and delivering nitrogen which would be otherwise inaccessible to trees. The removal of trees in urban environments and deforestation has a severe effect on biodiversity of mycorrhizal fungi. Replanting trees is not enough to restore forest ecosystems: mycorrhizal fungi and microbial communities need to be restored as well. Botanist Simard has spent years working on this theory, discovering what it means for forests, the climate and the wider Anthropocene.
I use elements of the sublime to draw the viewer into an ethereal landscape that has an impact on our sense of place in relation to the natural world. I aim to highlight the importance of ancient and mature trees in healthy ecosystems. This theory offers the potential for positive change through knowledge.