“The trees constitute a presence. They maintain -each according to its species- an extraordinary balance between movement and stillness,between action and passivity. And in this balance, all the while being regulated, their presence is palpable…They offer company.”
John Berger, from the book “and our faces, my heart, brief as photos”.
An ode to trees (ongoing project)
A self-engaging project
The project “presence” was inspired by John Berger. Trees are undoubtedly fascinating for every mind. They are diverse, they are wise, they are tall, they are strong, they reach out to the sky. Sitting under a tree is relaxing, walking among trees is curative. They nurture and inspire life. They are philosophers, they are four seasons, they are flowers, they are resistance, they are time, they are home, they are complicated. Trees offer company, they protect and they take away our loneliness. Most importantly they are all individuals.
This project is an ode to trees, for keeping us company as John Berger points out. For some years now, I have been working on trees and have constructed some series. Here, I present the individual trees that possess extraordinary characteristics that caught my eye. The trees presented in this project are photographs of trees that I see as a companion being part of my daily life.
As we live in an indelicate time, the idea was to give more attention and take time to contemplate a tree as part of our lives. As a photographer, my aim was to take a portrait of myself looking at these trees and let the viewer contemplate with me. A portrait as an ode to the trees that we are surrounded with sharing our moments. The trees being an example of wisdom is the reason the project is called “Presence”. I would like to have the visitors engage with those photographs and share how that particular tree makes them feel, or to give a description of its character or appearance.
The series I present here is to emphasize the extraordinary facade of daily life, nature, the fresh air, the laughter, the joy and childhood. The photographs are black and white mixed because the black and white pictures are a relief indicating the past and how time is a flux of moments being witnessed by the trees.