Jason Middlebrook | Laumeier Sculpture Park

In art and in poetry, the beauty and power of trees is an alluring subject matter with infinite possibilities. The exhibition Forest Through the Trees pulls together a group of artists whose observations range from representation through landscape to conceptual experimentation where the tree is treated as both subject and object. The exhibition also incorporates works from Laumeier’s permanent collection that utilize trees, expanding the theme to our outdoor galleries.

As a sculpture park focused on the conversation between art and nature, the works on view operate in harmony with and in reference to the natural landscape, both organic and manicured. Rather than viewed as a backdrop, the tree as a symbol of nature is respected and revered. Each of the artists in the exhibition approach this philosophy with wildly different interpretations. Whether literally carved from a tree trunk, cut from paper, planted in mass, compiled from thousands of carefully layered paint splotches or recreated with computer data, Forest Through the Trees celebrates and, in some cases, further complicates our relationship to nature.