Trees & Other Ramifications: Branches in Nature & Culture

Exhibition

Exhibition Overview

Trees & Other Ramifications: Branches in Nature & Culture
Trees & Other Ramifications: Branches in Nature & Culture
Stephen Goddard, curator
March 5, 2009–June 7, 2009
Central Court, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas

Trees and other Ramifications offers an open-ended look at some of the many ways that trees are meaningful to humanity and important in the natural world.

Exhibition images

Works of art

Sketch Club Feed, F. O. Marvin (1852–1915)
F. O. Marvin (1852–1915)
Giant Cedars, Birger Sandzén (1871–1954)
Birger Sandzén (1871–1954)
Giant Cedars, 1922
Apocalypse II, Jerry Norman Uelsmann (1934–2022)
Jerry Norman Uelsmann (1934–2022)
Grizzly Giant, Mariposa Grove, Carleton Emmons Watkins (1829–1916)
Carleton Emmons Watkins (1829–1916)
Eryngium Bourgatii Mannetreau, Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932)
Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932)
Eryngium Bourgatii Mannetreau, circa 1926–1928
Bearded Man with Tree, Venice, CA, Elliott Erwitt (1928–2023)
Elliott Erwitt (1928–2023)
Plant Trees Avert Nuclear Peril, Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000)
Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928–2000)
The Cottage on the Hill, Jacob van Ruisdael (1628 or 1629–1682)
Jacob van Ruisdael (1628 or 1629–1682)
Tree Planting Group, George Charles Miller (1894–1965); Grant Wood (1891–1942); Associated American Artists (active 1934–2000)
George Charles Miller (1894–1965); Grant Wood (1891–1942); Associated American Artists (active 1934–2000)
White of the Eye, Dr. Harold Eugene Edgerton (1903–1990)
Dr. Harold Eugene Edgerton (1903–1990)
Oak with Man in Hammock, David Johnson (1827–1908)
David Johnson (1827–1908)
Trimming, Kenji Nakahashi (1947–2017)
Kenji Nakahashi (1947–2017)
Trimming, 1987
Brook with Cottonwood Trees, Birger Sandzén (1871–1954)
Birger Sandzén (1871–1954)
Redwoods, Bull Creek Flat, Northern California, Ansel Adams (1902–1984)
Ansel Adams (1902–1984)
Among Branches, Mildred Bryant Brooks (1903–1995)
Mildred Bryant Brooks (1903–1995)
Bringing Home the Christmas Tree, Rockwell Kent (1882–1971)
Rockwell Kent (1882–1971)
The 'Home Sweet Home' of John Payne, East Hampton, Mary Nimmo Moran (1842–1899)
Mary Nimmo Moran (1842–1899)
Man and a Small Boy in a Wood, Carl Wilhelm Kolbe the elder (1759–1835)
Carl Wilhelm Kolbe the elder (1759–1835)
Arbre de la Vierge, pres du Caire (Tree of the Virgin, near Cairo), Wilhelm Hammerschmidt (active 1850-1869)
Wilhelm Hammerschmidt (active 1850-1869)
untitled (after Edward Hicks), Joan Nelson (born 1958); Cirrus Editions Ltd. (founded 1970)
Joan Nelson (born 1958); Cirrus Editions Ltd. (founded 1970)
Old Cedars and Spanish Peaks, George Elbert Burr (1859–1939)
George Elbert Burr (1859–1939)
Wind in the Elms, Howard Norton Cook (1901–1980)
Howard Norton Cook (1901–1980)
Spring Secrets, Robert Kipniss (born 1931)
Robert Kipniss (born 1931)
The Little Pigeon, Mark Leithauser (born 1950)
Mark Leithauser (born 1950)
Birches, Mark Leithauser (born 1950)
Mark Leithauser (born 1950)
Birches, 1980
Trees #3, Tanaka Ryōhei (1933–1999)
Tanaka Ryōhei (1933–1999)
Trees #3, 1974, Showa period (1926–1989)
Dorpshuizen or De Dode Boom (Village Houses or The Dead Tree), Jan Toorop (1858–1928)
Jan Toorop (1858–1928)
untitled (under side of a leaf), William Sharp (1803–1875); John Fisk Allen (1785–1865)
William Sharp (1803–1875); John Fisk Allen (1785–1865)
dessert fork, Württemberg Metal Factory (founded 1853)
Württemberg Metal Factory (founded 1853)
dessert fork, circa 1905
La Pendaison (The Hanging), Jacques Callot (1592–1635)
Jacques Callot (1592–1635)
Village Street, Hieronymus Cock (circa 1510–1570); Jan and/or Lucas van Doetecum (active 1554–1580); Master of the Small Landscapes (active mid 1500s)
Hieronymus Cock (circa 1510–1570); Jan and/or Lucas van Doetecum (active 1554–1580); Master of the Small Landscapes (active mid 1500s)
Village Street, 1559–1561
Forellenweiher (Trout Pond), Franz von Stuck (1863–1928)
Franz von Stuck (1863–1928)
Shoreline, Donald Resnick (1928–2008)
Donald Resnick (1928–2008)
Shoreline, circa 1997
Woods/Morning, Donald Resnick (1928–2008)
Donald Resnick (1928–2008)
untitled (resting men and dogs under a large tree), Wiliam Alfred Delamotte (1775–1863)
Wiliam Alfred Delamotte (1775–1863)
Mountain Cottonwoods, Charles Merrick Capps (1898–1981)
Charles Merrick Capps (1898–1981)
Der Lebensbaum (The Tree of Life), George Grosz (1893–1959)
George Grosz (1893–1959)
Structure of Thought 15, Doug Starn (born 1961); Mike Starn (born 1961)
Doug Starn (born 1961); Mike Starn (born 1961)
Western Courtyard, Ta Prohm, Cambodia, Linda Connor (born 1944)
Linda Connor (born 1944)
Edge of the Forest, Charles Chaplin (1907–1987)
Charles Chaplin (1907–1987)
In the New Forest Glade, Charles Chaplin (1907–1987)
Charles Chaplin (1907–1987)
Copper Beech, Jacques Hnizdovsky
Jacques Hnizdovsky
Copper Beech, 1985
Abecedaire, Francois Houtin
Francois Houtin
Abecedaire, 2004
Native Oak, Roger Medearis (1920–2001)
Roger Medearis (1920–2001)
Native Oak, 1979
untitled, Shigeki Tomura
Shigeki Tomura
untitled, 1979
Tree Farm, Zibo, Shantung Province, China, Pok Chi Lau (born 1950)
Pok Chi Lau (born 1950)
title unknown (tree planting), Pok Chi Lau (born 1950)
Pok Chi Lau (born 1950)
Lone Lychee Tree, Shenzhen, China, Pok Chi Lau (born 1950)
Pok Chi Lau (born 1950)
Sterculia snowII Lesquereux (type) (fossil leaf)
Sterculia snowII Lesquereux (type) (fossil leaf), Cretaceous period, collected mid to late 1800s
Hec est arbor Consanguineitatis (Here is the Tree of Blood Relationships) from Etymologiae. Liber Ethymologiarum Isidori Hyspalensis Ep[iscop]i., Isidore of Seville
Isidore of Seville
Della famiglia Montalto, libri III, scritti da Giuseppe Aurelio de Gennnaro..., Bartolomeo Da Grado
Bartolomeo Da Grado
Tree of Life, Charles Darwin (1809–1882)
Charles Darwin (1809–1882)
Tree of Life, 1860
The evolution of man: a popular exposition of the principal points of human ontogeny and phylogeny. From the German. London: Kegan Paul, Trench & Co., Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919)
Ernst Haeckel (1834–1919)
Arbor Moralis (Moral Tree), Ramon Llull
Ramon Llull
Arbol Imaginal (Imaginative Tree), Ramon Llull
Ramon Llull
The Pillars of Hercules and Thus Are Giants Murdered, Lindley Eddy
Lindley Eddy
Linea Regum Egipti Ptholomeus Dionisus (Lineage of Ptolemy XII, Dionysus) from Liber chronicarum., Michael Wolgemut (circa 1435–1519)
Michael Wolgemut (circa 1435–1519)
Arboretum, David Byrne (born 1952)
David Byrne (born 1952)
Arboretum, 2006
Programmable Do-Gooders, Valerie Lueth (born 1979)
Valerie Lueth (born 1979)
A Fresh Rhizome of Cimifuga Racemosa, J. Augustus Knapp
J. Augustus Knapp
Essai d’une Distribution Généalogique des Sciences et des Arts Principaux (Essay on a Genealogical Distribution of the Primary Sciences and Arts), Robert Bernard
Robert Bernard
How to Look at Modern Art in America, Ad Reinhardt (1913–1967); Thomas B. Hess; Kunsthalle, Dusseldorf
Ad Reinhardt (1913–1967); Thomas B. Hess; Kunsthalle, Dusseldorf
untitled (tree), Xu Bing (born 1955); Sophia Gakii (born 1998)
Xu Bing (born 1955); Sophia Gakii (born 1998)
Und neues Leben blüht aus den Ruinen (And new Life blossoms from the ruins), Klaus Staeck (born 1938)
Klaus Staeck (born 1938)
What is man that thou art mindful of him? Psalm 8, 4, Harold Lukens Doolittle (1883–1974)
Harold Lukens Doolittle (1883–1974)
Winnebago Trainspotters in the Universe, David Byrne (born 1952)
David Byrne (born 1952)
The Evolution of Category, David Byrne (born 1952)
David Byrne (born 1952)
Being There, David Byrne (born 1952)
David Byrne (born 1952)
Being There, 2004
bower, Yellow-Breasted Bowerbird
Yellow-Breasted Bowerbird
bower, date unknown

Resources

Audio

Didactic – Art Minute
Didactic – Art Minute
Episode 184, Episode 185 Apr-2009 I’m David Cateforis with another Art Minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. The early 20th-century German photographer Karl Blossfeldt is famous for his starkly elegant black-and-white photographs of plant forms. An impressive example of such work is a photograph Blossfeldt made in the 1920s of a single leaf of a thistle-like plant known as an eryngo or sea holly; its scientific name is Eryngium Bourgatii. This close-up view of the dark symmetrical leaf set against a white background emphasizes its strong vertical stem and diagonally branching spines. Simultaneously beautiful and menacing, the isolated leaf calls to mind a spiky architectural ornament and it is easy to imagine it translated into metal or stone. An influential art teacher in Berlin, Blossfeldt believed that nature’s forms provided aesthetic models for artistic and architectural design -- an idea that he demonstrated powerfully in his 1928 book Artforms in Nature, in which this image of the eyrngo was originally published. You can see Blossfeldt’s photograph in the current Spencer exhibition, Trees and Other Ramifications, on view through May 24th. From the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.
Didactic – Art Minute
Didactic – Art Minute
Episode 179 Feb-2009, Jayme Johnson I’m David Cateforis with another Art Minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. Visiting KU art professor Stacy Fox has designed the new Spencer Museum of Art Island in Second Life® which explores the world of art by going virtual. Second Life® is an Internet-based virtual realm allowing players to create their own virtual characters or avatars and explore the world that has been created by other users just like themselves. The Spencer Island presently relates to the exhibitions Climate Change at the Poles and Trees & Other Ramifications. Currently home to a large flooded area covered in icebergs, glacial information, enormous trees and a floating globe, the world will continue to evolve to incorporate future exhibitions and works from the permanent collection. In addition to the virtual world, this spring the museum’s Process Space will host a computer which visitors can use to explore the Second Life® Island. For more information about Second Life® or to download instructions on how to create your own avatar and begin your virtual adventure, please visit www.spencerart.ku.edu. With thanks to Jayme Johnson for her text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.

Documents

Family Guide
Exhibition Pamphlet
Media Release