Lorrie Fink

Artist Statement

Urban Forest

My process begins with a walk in my garden.

I use the expressiveness of natural forms to investigate pattern and color. Located in the midst of my garden, my studio offers a front row seat to cycles of growth and renewal. During the past 30 years, I’ve added vegetable beds, edible plants, shade and fruit trees. I am surrounded by the bounty of nature.

I link the narrative of deep time — a geologic timeline of Earth’s natural history — with contemporary concerns about climate crises. Immersed in both wild and cultivated landscapes, I envision a world where forests are preserved and green spaces are considered essential features of urban life.

For this series, I combine components from the natural and technical worlds to create a hybrid landscape assembled from recycled found objects. These wall hangings are composed of discarded tree branches which I wrap with thin copper telephone cable wires used to connect landlines. I incorporate found objects and personal items I've collected: buttons, beads, earrings, rubber bands, and floral tape once used to secure my wedding bouquet.

The wires are sheathed in colored plastic; they come in ten colors. I select from this palette, winding alternating bands of color. A syncopated rhythm in the sequencing emerges; short units of color punctuate the longer passages. The process is meditative. As I twirl and twine, I imagine a set of coded hieroglyphics and musical notations, an animated urban forest. The inert branches come alive as though their circulatory systems are awakened. Instead of being tossed into a green waste bin, the branches are transformed, suggesting figures, totems, antlers. They may be installed individually or combined to form larger more complex arrangements, an urban forest.

I invite viewers to celebrate the exuberance of our natural world and reflect on the essential role that trees play in our planet’s ecosystems.