Art21 Blog
Written by Caroline Picard, Nov. 2, 2012
The article's subject category, "How are stories and art intertwined?" initially caught my interest because it is something I want to develop in my own photography; learning to create layers of meaning and context in images is not an easy task, but finally creating a finished product that has both depth and narrative is always satisfying. In this article, Picard explained the process that Charles Ray underwent to create a wooden replica of a rotting redwood which he titled Hinoki. From a cast Ray made of the tree, the replica was carved from Japanese cypress - essentially a tree transformed into the form of another tree. Ray's work is given additional context from the informational placards on the museum wall which explain the process, allowing the viewer to understand how its story intertwines with the art. Then, with the knowledge of the work's past, the viewer is able to make connections to the essential question which Picard asks, "What does it mean to say the work is an imitation of nature? What is nature?" Both the original tree and replica were living organisms; yet one died, the new tree took on its rotting form, and "has taken multiple tree-lives to make this single representation of one." In addition to creating aesthetically pleasing images, I am also interested in exploring other techniques like challenging myself to create meaningful pieces that beg the deeper questions, making onlookers see things from a different perspective.
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