Elder

Two stately homes flanked by grand trees once stood on the site of the residences where this work lives. The artist returned a grand tree to the site through the work, echoing the deep-rooted lives of the neighborhood’s people. The building itself was a project designed to keep the neighborhood's elders based in the community in which they have lived all their lives.

The installation embodies seasons and change. The shifting daylight or the movement of the viewer through the room alters the work. Branches and leaves by turns appear and disappear, sometimes appearing lighter than their surroundings, sometimes darker.

The tree form in this work is based on elements of the American Sycamore, English Oak, and European Beech species. These trees are known for having a long lifespan and an increasingly complex, gnarled, and beautiful form as they age. The artist drew the “leaf” patterning between the branches from close-on views of tree bark scars and knots.

This work was commissioned by The Community Builders in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Office of Public Art.