Materials: Sisal Rope, Living Apple Tree In Situ

Completed July 24, 2011

Artist’s Statement:
This sculpture installation at the artist’s parent’s farm is a statement about the dualistic nature of protection. Frequently in life when we seek protection in order to obtain protection we take on some kind of bondage, encumbrance, or disassociation from the outside. Protection insulates us from the outside world, and yet limits our ability to feel or the grow. In life we must balance our level of protection to ensure we do not die, while also not debilitating our ability to grow or to feel.

The apple tree was under attack by an active kitten, and was at risk of dying due to bark loss. It has been bound in rope to shield it from sharp claws, but this bondage may impact the tree’s growth. The rope is a symbol of the dialectic between all the different pieces that make up life on earth, as different codings of DNA dance around each other and jockey for position.

Detail Front:

Detail Back/Side:

Detail Back:

Detail Edge:

Front View:

Full Tree:

Human Scale: