Forest Surfaces 5

Tane Mahuta is a kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest on the northern island of New Zealand. It isn’t just a kauri tree, it is the most massive kauri known standing today. The age of Tane Mahuta is between 1250 - 2500 years old. Forest Surfaces 5 is from a photograph I took of the top of the tree in 2005 while I visited the forest. Waipoua Forest is an unusual and incredible place and has been inspiring my work for the past 3 years. The barks of the kauri trees are luscious to see.

Forest Surfaces 5 is 29” x 19” and made up of layers that are bound together with florist wire and attached to hardware cloth. There are 5 digital surfaces in the layers.

Layers from top to bottom:
*Digitally manipulated photograph printed on lutradur that has been slightly heat distressed
*Digitally manipulated photograph printed on white matte paper
*Digitally manipulated photograph printed on tyvec, heat pressed to warp slightly
*Dyed burlap glued to the back of the tyvec
*Twigs
*Heavy weight hemp crocheted into 2” squares
*Digitally manipulated photograph printed on both sides of rice paper
*Twigs
*Dyed Cheesecloth
*Dyed canvas
*Digitally manipulated photograph printed on dyed canvas

The detail of the piece was photographed with a white background so that you could see the inner detail.

I will be finishing another small piece this week and have 2 more in the works. Thanks for looking.