À la recherche du bouleaux perdu. A tribute to a fallen tree.

Apologies to Marcel Proust, “À la recherche du bouleaux perdu (Remembrance of Birches Past)” is a sculptural work similarly in seven parts. It is an exploration of time, space and memory and a condensation of innumerable branches, structural form and a stylization of the tree’s essence. With a recent construction project, there was a birch tree in the way of progress. While the client agonized for hours and even sought to redesign the house around this birch that they had enjoyed for ten years, eventually there was no option but to cut the tree down. Upon the tree’s demise, we went to the construction site and saved many portions of the tree for a yet to be determined sculpture as a tribute to that beloved tree, the balance of the tree and several Juniperus chinensis ‘Torulosa’ were shipped off to a Hollywood prop yard for studio rentals and have now started a successful career as stand-ins for real trees. The key and seminal part of the sculpture hangs in the client’s home. The other pieces have started to make their way around the country into other collections. This is the final piece yet to be distributed. Its provenance can be confirmed and certified for the discriminating collector.