I think of tree time as a time scale that is vastly different than a human lifespan, like deep time or geologic time. Tree time also refers to the time that I spend with trees. Each sculpture begins with my own tree time; sitting, looking, listening, touching, experiencing and wondering. What has this tree experienced during its lifetime? What challenges has it overcome? Who has walked past this tree before me?
During my personal tree time, I collect silicone molds of small sections of tree bark without harming the tree. Back in my studio, I combine these small molds to construct sculptures that are eventually cast in bronze and glass. Each sculpture is a reflection of my own imagination coupled with memories and feelings of being with the tree in its natural environment. J.S. Hallett
Temple Tree, 2024; bronze, glass, petrified wood. 47” x 39” x 27”
A collage bronze and glass tree bark from the 380 year old fig tree of Piazza Marina in Palermo, Italy and the 3,000 year old Castagno Cento Cavalli on the slopes of Etna in Sant'Alfio, Sicily along with approximately 50 million year old petrified wood support a glass tree bark structure reminiscent of the Greek temples on the shores of Sicily at Selinunte that were built during the lifetime of Castagno Cento Cavalli (Hundred Horse Chestnut).
Averara Arc, 2024; bronze, steel, glass; 57” x30” x36”
Molds from ancient chestnut trees in the alpine village of Averara, Italy were used to create this bronze arc with cast glass from a mold of the 3,000 year old Castagno Cento Cavalli of Sant’Alfio, Sicily.
Castagno Fragment, 2024, bronze, glass; 27" x 9" x 9"
The textured wood of a dead (still standing) portion of the 3,000 year old Castagno Cento Cavalli (Hundred Horse Chestnut) of Sant’Alfio, Sicily, is recreated in bronze with glass that rotates with a gentle touch.
Hangman’s Elm, 2024; bronze, steel, glass; 75” x 30” x 30”
The oldest tree in Manhattan (circa 1700) stands at the Northwest corner of Washington Square Park. There are no public records of hangings from this tree.
POR FAVORE TOCCA • PLEASE TOUCH • POR FAVOR TOCA, 2023; 40” x 40” x 5.5”; Poplar, Bronze, LED components.
Bronze tree bark fragments from trees in Wisconsin, Mexico, Sicily and the Italian Alps respond to touch with back lighting. Each fragment also produces a unique sound when hit with a wooden mallet.
Hermosa Stranad, 2024; 180” x 48” x 40”; bronze, steel; reconstructed from a small mold taken from an unimposing palm tree between the Strand and the Pacific Ocean in Hermosa Beach, California.
Ahuehuete Tree, 2024, glass; Cast from bark from an old Ahuehuete Tree in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. This pieces is constructed from the fragments of a previous sculpture that was accidently broken by children in a gallery.
Trees (December 2022)
I believe texture can tell a story without color or shape. Just as a barcode or QR code holds information far beyond what is immediately visible, tree bark holds many memories and stories that I strive to tell with sculpture. J.S. Hallett
