Whether it is owning a pet, watching a nature show or taking a hike through the forest, humans intuitively seek out
connections with other living things. The term used to describe this phenomenon is biophilia. Artists will often capitalize on this instinctual desire when creating their work. However, if you simply re-represent nature in a visually accurate way the resulting experience almost always falls short of the original. Conversely, great works of art allow us to see the familiar in captivating and unexpected ways. Such is the case with the piece entitled Middle Fork by artist John Grade.
Grade’s body of work is inspired by his observations of nature. This particular piece was made by plaster casting a 140 year old western hemlock tree — a tree native to the Northwest United States.
The contours of the cast were then lined with thousands of cedar rectangles joined together in an intricate web. The resulting forms were separated from the mold, broken into sections and suspended horizontally in a large open space. This remarkable move allows viewers to experience the “tree” from surprising perspectives. The central void reveals the space that would be occupied by the tree itself. This work is truly magnificent. The combination of impeccable craft, sheer size, the ability to observe the piece from below and above, as well as sensing the absence of the tree, produces an experience that transcends the original.