TREE

Artist statement

I made this work to celebrate the mature plane tree outside the NGV. Long before the gallery building existed, this tree was already contributing oxygen, shade and beauty to the city. Its number, 1029363, comes from Melbourne’s Urban Forest register.

Older trees, like older people, can have their contributions overlooked. When they become frail or are removed, their presence can be forgotten. I wanted to preserve a trace of this tree and honour the life it has supported.

Using frottage—rubbing charcoal and graphite over paper held against the trunk—I recorded the bark’s individual pattern. The resulting image is a portrait of the tree at a particular moment, retaining its mark and celebrating its contribution beyond its own lifetime.