Art and Nature Combine in La Jolla's Stuart Collection

The Poetic Tree

Does art mimic nature, or nature mimic art? It is a question often asked rhetorically, and often jokingly, to artists and critics worldwide. Terry Allen, painter, sculptor, musician, and writer played in and around this question with his first out door sculptural piece, "Trees" (1986), commissioned for The Stuart Collection at the University of California, San Diego, in La Jolla.

Allen’s work is a commentary on the loss of trees for the expansion of the university. To make his statement, he encased three eucalyptus trees in lead, essentially preserving them. Two of the threes mingle with other live eucalyptus in a grove between the Geisel Library and Faculty Club. They could go unnoticed if not for the sounds. Allen combines other forms of artistic expression into these two trees: one emits music, the other poetry. The music tree has songs sung by William T. Wiley, Joe Ely, David Byrne, a Thai band, and the Maines Brothers. The poetry tree recites works by Bale Allen, Phillip Levine, Navajo chants, translated Aztec poetry, and other sounds. Some students call the area “The Enchanted Forest.” The third tree stands in the middle of the paved quad in front of the geometrical Geisel Library. The interpretations for this tree are endless. It could be seen as the tree of knowledge. This tree makes no sounds, but stands as though in silent mourning for the trees that have been cut down to make the books that are within the library.

After following the sounds of music and poetry to find the lead encased eucalyptus of Allen’s "Trees," stop by Thumbprint Gallery, on Kline Street in La Jolla, to see more urban art and lowbrow local art.

Source: http://stuartcollection.ucsd.edu/artists/allen.shtml