The Tree is fast becoming an important symbol for the anthropocene at this time of increasing climate change and our diminishing biodiversity.
BEECH TREE-ILLUMINATION was filmed over a ten year period from 2010-20, it explores representation through changes in time, space and light in different seasons, weather conditions and times of day. The visual appearance of the tree is intermittently changed in transitions from shade to more intense degrees of illumination.
Observation of the Beech Tree in different weather and light conditions and through seasonal changes were a prerequisite for making this film. And most importantly, the observation of the position of the sun at different times of the day, the wind velocity and the movement of different types of cloud as they passed across the path of the sun. Resulting in intermittent changes in the strength and quality of light. Performing in a similar way to that of lens filters in partially blocking the light to create different degrees of light intensity’
Although filmed hand held the tree was framed from a fixed frame position for each take to ensure formal comparability. The series of film sections were selected from a number of takes filmed over a ten year period and presented in yearly sequences. Real time equivalents are intended between recording and viewing time with the possibility of the film becoming a reflexive and phenomenological experience for viewers.
