Woods usually drain away with human and his culture, this already knew philosopher Giambattista Vico in the year of 1725. Since that there is an undisputed level of romanticism proceeding from trees. Thereby has this long-term vegetation so many varieties and the woods (romantically: a colourful collection of species) are the natural landscape of our latitude. It seems our relationship with trees is troubled.
This does not have to be, for children any fruiter is more exciting than a climbing frame on a playground. Not at least since Hermann von Pückler-Muskau we know how ideal natural scenarios have to be build to create especially beautiful views through branches. Parks, grown by tree farmers, were ”build” everywhere. Already Napoleon prompted to plant plane trees along country roads and places in citys to afford shadow to his soldiers. And as time goes by our urban areas grew around older trees or has been added by new plantings.
Sometimes trees are standing in a surrounding that let them appeal very special. Some trees are grown under conditions what makes them extraordinary. Some are small and stocky, others knobbly and knotted. Again others grew streamlined with the wind on the edge of a cliff. The tree is in focus of a search of the artist for notably shapes and scenarios against the background of its importance as a carbon storage and source of shade.
Trees are wood, which according to its chemical components, consits of around 50% carbon. With photosynthesis and constant growing every cubic meter of wood absorbs up to a ton of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turns it into oxygen.
External influences have shaped these selected trees, that were found along the way. With an intervention in the photo that is comparable to common human actions in reality, the image has been transformed into a surreal investigation. A kind of double image emerges, one can see the living tree in almost all its glory and at the same time an image comes up of what the landscape would look like without it.
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About the artist
Marcel Stahn was born 1984 in Duisburg, Germany. He studied visual communications and fine arts and has two degrees (Bachelor of arts in 2012, Akademiebrief in 2017). Rita McBride awarded Marcel as Master Student at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in 2017. His work includes installations, sculpture, object trouve and interventions in photographic media.
Selected exhibitions since 2011
“come to where the carbon is” - Art at advertising columns in Cologne, “Volcanoes” - LIFE SPORT - Athens, “Cornucopia” - Prolog exhibition in open spaces “Von fremden Ländern in eigenen Städten” with Markus Ambach Projekte - Düsseldorf, „Akademie“ - KIT - Kunst im Tunnel - Düsseldorf, „Akademie [Arbeitstitel]“ - Kunsthalle - Düsseldorf, ”die digitale” - Weltkunstzimmer - Düsseldorf, “Snap to Grid” - Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, “General Exposure” - Museum Kunstpalast - Düsseldorf, “Feldstärke” - Pact Zollverein - Essen, “Talkshow” - Malkasten - Düsseldorf, “Alibi Position” - Galerie 52 - Essen, “Made in Düsseldorf” - Theatermuseum - Düsseldorf