Contrast

Situated in what was once a grim industrial district in downtown Portland, the Lumber Room provided a placid and proper gallery feel — unblemished white walls framed by warm doug-fir beams and flooring — from which individual tree compositions could be observed in their entirety.

"This show was about minimalism, focusing on the sole connection between viewer and the work."

The vast blankness of this space offered opportunities for some of the more substantial pieces — visually and physically — to be shown and appreciated. With this work, the intricacy of a tree’s form or deadwood can easily overwhelm the viewer. The lack of visual pollution in the space allowed for the interaction between person and tree to fully develop with minimal interference.

This show was about minimalism, focusing on the sole connection between viewer and the work, laying bare that dynamic and allowing implicit connections to arise. At first, there is a perception of a boundary — I am human, it is nature, we are separate — but in the process of sitting with the trees, that dualistic notion quickly dissolves.

In viewing the work, you begin to tap into a familiar dissonance. It speaks to that struggle, a liminal space between oneness and separation, between culture and environment. These pieces tap into humanities’ unity with and divergence from the natural world. While bonsai are still an incredibly novel medium to consider and appreciate as fine art, this was another exhibition where the quality of the work met the caliber of the space, furthering the power these trees have to provide commentary and insight into our understanding of art & humanity.

Credits: Venue - Lumber Room, Photography - Arthur Hitchcock