Some years ago, I spent an unexpected amount of time looking at and walking around in German forests. The pure form of thin horizontal broken bare branches that crossed through spaces between the repeating verticals of tree trunks was visually thrilling. It brought to mind what Rilke described as magnificence in trees, “but even more magnificent is the sublime and moving space between them…”, and Gaston Bachelard’s reflection on two kinds of space- “intimate space and exterior space, keep encouraging each other” . Around that same time, I came across a few more vital tree sentences by Ayya Khema who cited the example of looking at trees through a window from a seated position, then standing to look again. First one sees only half a tree, then more of the tree or possibly all of it.
The tree has been whole all the time, but one’s own position has made the difference. This, the author likened to how wisdom arises: ‘doing away with discursive thinking, not just thinking about a subject, but contemplating its truth and realizing its application to one’s own life, all of its facets and connections to one’s reality’.
The wax-covered pieces mounted on wood panel were made from the intaglio proofing prints that are the result of the plate’s evolution. The beeswax that covers them is literally a preservative. I enjoy using it just for the surface quality, but its inherent suggestion of an embalmed experience is also appealing.