Mother Tree Series

At the heart of the forest lies a profound web of relations, where trees, plants, animals and the earth form a harmonious symbiosis. When a tree transitions into the realm of the fallen, it becomes the nurturing support for the next generation, fostering an intricate web of life. Amidst a rich tapestry of foliage, mosses, lichen and seedlings are intertwined and woven together by the legacy of their predecessors’ nourishment and sustenance. It is a sacred cycle where the old bestows life upon the new, ensuring the perpetual vitality of the forest ecosystem.

Inspired by the groundbreaking research of Dr. Suzanne Simard on the interconnectedness of Mother Tree systems in forest regeneration, my work seeks to encapsulate the essence of this dynamic relationship. I reanimate the intricate processes of succession that underpin the forest’s existence.

Drawing parallels to Albert Dürer’s seminal watercolour “A Piece of Turf” from 1503, where the ordinary is elevated to the extraordinary through the artist’s lens, my series “Wisdom of the Forest: Mother Tree Still Lives” pays homage to the sublime beauty found in the minutiae of the forest.

Through respectfully gathering, arranging, and assembling of elements from the forest floor, I strive to forge a deeper connection with the flora of the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest. Each composition becomes a vessel through which I seek to understand the essence of these botanical beings—do they exude a dampness or a dryness, are they weightless or soggy and heavy, do they carry a fragrance that whispers of the forest.

These images serve as distilled memories, capturing the essence of the place. Each one features an emblematic ephemeral plant signalling early spring, inviting viewers to contemplate the profound interconnectedness and resilience of the world.

Barbara Brown

Prints: archival pigment on cotton rag, 50 x 40”, 2024. Edition of 2 plus Artist Proof

Image List:

Mother Tree and Swordfern (Polystichum munitum)

Mother Tree and Lungwort Lichen (Lobaria pulmonaria)

Mother Tree and Swamp Lantern (Lysichiton americanus)

Mother Tree and Giant White Fawnlily (Erythronium oregonum)