These works were inspired by Red Oak and Copper Beech trees. Like silent witnesses to time, change and evolution, the Red Oak tree is one of the most enduring trees I have discovered in the Northeast. Over 250 years old, the oldest tree at Wave Hill is a Red Oak tree outside the Glydor Gallery. The oldest tree in Providence is also a Red Oak that sits next to the RISD Woods Gerry Gallery. These sages reveal their skeletal structure during winter, and their branches appear like free form fractal drawings. Throughout this winter, going from a season of death to regeneration, I have been thinking about impermanence and permanence, sequencing, decay and slow growth. Despite these trees having the time span of at least 4 human generations, I embrace the reality of impermanence. The Red Oaks have been rendered with extractions from natural dyes and paraffin wax. In contrast, the Copper Beech tree faces a new pathogen called Beech Leaf Disease. Nematodes penetrate the leaves of the American and European Beech tree, eventually causing the tree to starve to death. Although the Beech has faced numerous diseases before, this new pathogen is slightly different as we currently have no cure. The only way to help the trees are to nourish them to help aid their surivival. My hope is that they will not become like the American Chestnut. In a personal effort to salvage the endangered trees, I cast twigs in bronze in a futile effort to introduce permanence to a contingent and fragile situation.  

“Working Title: Red Oak for Trisha Brown” reinterprets 300 casted branches from the Red Oak tree into a floor score inspired by a post modern dance by Trisha Brown. Trees have their own logic and communication and are very supportive of each other. They work in concert and protect their species through the undergound root network. I think of collectivity, rhythm and movement. If trees could sway and clap their hands in joy, this formation gets close for me.

With “Aoi 葵 Hollyhock Pojagi”, I created a gradient of hues from the Hollyhock plant; an ornamental plant that was imported to Europe from China. Pojagi is a Korean quilting technique often associated with gift giving.

The seasonal calender was very vivid in the Bronx this winter. “Easter Burial” is the result of 2 rolls of film buried in the ground, one for 40 days during lent, and a roll of exposed film buried from Good Friday to Easter Sunday. I wanted to see what would appear from the ground.  

Special thanks to the Wedding Cake House in Providence, Rhode Island, Wave Hill in New York, Karam, Jeffrey Spring, and my mom. 

- Lili Chin Winter 2024