NZ:Tree Of Life

NZ:Tree Of Life

The tree of life is an archaic symbol representing the living world and is found in many different cultural traditions around the globe. It is often depicted having two trunks forming a unified whole with their branches in a single tree crown.

The two trunks signify the duality often found in our experience of the world and life, much the same as in yin and yang, receptive and emitting, female and male. In artistic representation the tree of life also generally bears fruit and blossoms and hosts many birds. It provides life and offers abundance and shelter to all those that come to visit, rest or stay.

The Aotearoa Tree Of Life is a very New Zealand specific interpretation of this theme and exclusively features birds from around here, most of which are native (with the exception of the cheery skylark and the sleeping short-tailed bat). They all live around where the artist resides

Both the bird silhouettes and the tree shapes have been hand-drawn in black ink. These drawings were  then turned into screen-printing forms which Daniel manually prints in varying artist acrylic colours onto plywood. To finish the work a layer of linseed oil is applied, followed by a final coat of custom-made beeswax polish protecting the work and lending it a beautiful sheen. The fruit is gilded manually with a brush and gold paint and mysteriously captures and reflects back the light from certain angles.

Each work is numbered and signed by the artist.

 

size 200 x 200 x 11 mm

2013

colours: mandarin, red earth, slate, spring green, emerald, sky, aqua, tarn, red earth, tussock

Screen Shot 2013-11-10 at 9.22.18 PM download bird index PDF