By manipulating the form, Trees’s sculptures look at abstraction and draw from the form of the human body. The bulbous, frothing pieces appear veiny and alive. The lumps hang on the walls of the gallery, bursting with life as the sculptures contract, bubble, and grow like organisms under a microscope. These orifices are detailed, yet I’m unsure of what they remind me of. I describe them as human forms, something removed from a body, but are they? While they appear to be living and breathing, the works aren’t one particular body part or one particular organ. They queer the body and disrupt our idea of nature.
Having this sort of freedom in art-making is refreshing. Much like our body forms, each work takes on a unique shape. Whether they are on the walls or hanging from the ceiling, Trees’s sculptures appear heavy and prominent. In fact, the viewer may not realize it, but expandable foam is very light in weight. In the same way that she manipulates the physical form of the works, the presentation is also manipulated. These works appear foreign in material and hang delicately along the walls of the gallery inviting viewers to peer longer and deeper inside. They are displayed like magnified organisms—both earthly and alien—on the white gallery walls. The relationship between material and artist is obvious. Trees’s closeness with her works is apparent, although some distance is necessary as these materials forge their own paths. This is what makes the works so strong. While Trees is the creator, the sculptures conclude their metamorphoses.
Through 2/14, Evanston Art Center, 1717 Central, Evanston, evanstonartcenter.org. Please call EAC 847-475-5300 for entry. All visitors are required to wear masks and take their temperature upon entry using provided gloves, and share results with an EAC staff member.
