It’s impossible to find something truly natural these days, even some of the most beautiful sights have been ‘constructed’ or ‘cordoned-off’ at some point to make ‘the perfect view’. Tourism is rife and the urban mark in the form of a national park, walking trails, a pub or lone house becomes an integral part of the landscape too.
As mentioned in a previous post, even the woodlands near to me have been ‘constructed’. They were either left alone to make the new housing development look less invasive or else newly planted around a few remaining trees to provide more of an architectural feature. Nowadays we find these everywhere we go. Most of them are taken for granted and not usually noticed. Gardens and parks are the obvious tell-tale signs of a ‘developed’ landscape.
The work I’ve continued with is about the ongoing dialogues between what is natural and unnatural. By placing glaringly obvious ‘graffiti-esque’ marks
on the trees I hope to show that what’s inside of these trees is man-made and ultimately an urban product. The coloured wooden ‘viewfinder’ attempts to metaphor what does and doesn’t constitute ‘a view’. It’s informal placement references my lack of restrictive attempts in confining what’s pretty and what’s ugly.
You also can’t get much more of an opposite material when it comes to metal wire. An easy juxtaposition but one that again points towards the restrictions placed on the landscape. One that constricts. One that is dangerous to the natural habitat of animals. And one that defines a ‘natural/un-natural’ boundary marker.
P.S. The paint used on the trees is a non-toxic temporary chalk paint that fades away within a few days to weeks.
See more images in the ‘Outdoor’ section of my website:
