Root, Mana
2021 | |weeping cherry tree root, concrete, wood, acrylic mirror | 79 x 99 x 24 in.
International Sculpture Center, NJ
Created while in residence at Grounds For Sculpture (GFS), Root, Mana is a site-specific sculpture featuring the dead roots of a twenty-year-old weeping cherry tree. GFS is home to a wide variety of native and exotic trees, housing an extensive tree map and library with information on where each tree on the ground originated and how it has adapted to the new environment. Working with GFS horticulturist, Janis Napoli, I created a map of migrant trees found in the sculpture park and we both came to realize one of them was not going to survive. A twenty-year-old weeping cherry tree who could not survive the new climate was eventually cut down. I excavated its root, which was then cut in half and installed in the GFS gallery divided by two cast concrete walls.
On two sides of the wall facing each other, there are geometric mirror works that reflect the person who walks in, and two sides of the wall reflect on each other endlessly.
This project was based on a map I created from migrated trees in a sculpture park. I realized one of them could not survive.
One of these trees could not survive. I excavated the root, cut it in half, and cast concrete walls between the two sides of the root. On two sides of the wall facing each other, there are geometric mirror works that reflect the person who walks in, and two sides of the wall reflect on each other endlessly.