Trees

For the degree show I want two trees to surround the spectacles so that they look as though they are gathered in a forest-like environment. So far, I’ve been unable to source real trees so I have been experimenting with making my own from chicken wire and bamboo. I think they have to be brightly coloured in order to not look out of place alongside my spectacles, and to portray to the audience that it is supposed to be reminiscent of a festival environment. I have no idea whether the trees will work alongside my spectacles and until they are made it will be impossible to imagine how it will all come together, even through drawings, so the whole idea is extremely experimental. Working in this way – not knowing how anything is going to turn out before its finished, is my preferred way of working and I think it is how I develop the most interesting outcomes. Whilst it wont matter if I decide to scrap the trees when installing the degree show, I want to try find a way to make them work.

Initially, I imagined trees made out of a chicken wire base, which would then be covered in expanding foam. The foam has a bark like texture and it can be painted easily but it is so expensive for a can (and you don’t get a lot in a can), which makes it a financially unviable option for me. I then thought that ruched fabric would have a similar texture, but the weight of the fabric just made the structure fall because I hadn’t reinforced it all the way up. To reinforce the structure I would have had to have a steel or wooden frame beneath the chicken wire, but as I didn’t even know how the trees would work in the show I didn’t want to spend the time making this when I still had work to do on the spectacles.

The tree out of chicken wire is weirdly human-like because of the two arm like branches which would be an interesting juxtaposition with the spectacles, which suggest that there will be people inside, even though they will be on stands. I picture the trees similar to willow trees, as the fluid movement of the willow branches will be easy to recreate through material. Having the branches so thick means that they will not be fluid. The material around the trunk and the branches is so solid, and could potentially detract the audience’s attention from the spectacles. The audiences focus needs to be mainly on the spectacles as they are my main pieces, so the trees cannot be too tall, or too loud and colourful, as they are just there to set the scene. At the same time, they need to be at the same level of ‘alien-ness’, which will mean they will have to be colourful. At festivals, trees are often decorated or added too, but at the end of the day they will still look like trees. There is a certain minimalism when using natural objects in that often whatever you do to them, they will still look like what they are. By using real trees for the show, they I will be able to create trees like that at a festival, which will help set the scene for my spectacles.

I was able to acquire two tree trunks that had the top branches cut off and the roots still intact which were between 5ft and 5 and a half ft. I debated peeling off all the bark and moss to reveal the smoother wood underneath, but the rough, natural bark will create interesting textures when spraypainted. Several screws were needed to hold the twists of the trunks in place so I could cut off all the roots and add bases so that they will stand upright. Using bamboo and chicken wire I extended the branches so that they appear taller and the material would ‘womp’ over the spectacles. As I am trying to recreate a festival scene I am not being a perfectionist with my work and am not worried about smoothing out edges or having cable ties or tape on show. Festival organisers and developers, especially in the early years of a festival, have a very do it yourself approach, as funds are limited and they have to find new ways of creating and making using mostly upcycled materials. Having all the joins and methods of working clearly visible on my trees was a conscious decision, as I can clearly imagine something like them being with a festival space.

The bases are much bigger than I thought they would be, but this was necessary to support and balance the weight of the trees. I had toyed with the idea of covering the bases in fake grass or flowers or festival detritus such as empty beer cans or water bottles but I don’t think my installation needs that. The ridiculousness of my spectacles with the trees will make the viewer think that they are meant to be in outside space, even if they don’t automatically think of a festival. I like the subtle suggestion of festival, and if I added other elements into it, it would become to obvious.

The way the netting moves in the wind is obviously lost when in the gallery space which is a shame.

Initial expanding foam experiments for tree bark texture

Creating my own trees out of chicken wire, bamboo and material - a combination of foam and material could be interesting?

I definitely want the trees to be these warm colours instead of natural colours or cooler colours. I think cooler colours could look too much like seaweed, which could make my spectacles appear almost as under the sea creatures or corals. 

screwing in the twists so they don't break off 

Cutting the roots off the trees so the bases will sit flat