Introduction:

Careful observations of trees maturing near obstacles lead me to a refreshing concept in sculpture. While growing, a tree can swallow most objects, thus warping the trunk in a stunning manner, harmlessly.

The diameter of a tree increases by successive additions of cells between the heart and the trunk of the tree. Thus the tree grows outwardly: it is this visible result of its growth that allows us to determine its age by counting the circles on a log. The tree, by extending its being around and beyond the obstacle, modifies its shape in an astonishing way, without presenting a threat to its own well-being.

This way I could observe how they seem fluid, molding and wrapping themselves around obstacles, exaggerating the imprint, adopting unusual shapes.

First exhibitions where the photographies were shown.

Experimental Planting :
Objects implanted on trees, the experimental grove Mémoire vivante (Living memory). Artifacts fixed on trunks of young Ulmus Pumila for observation of growth. After 30 years of "swallowing" the wood will the be used for sculpture. I will then be 69 years old!

See the experimental paddock in Québec's Suroît.

Virtual Time :
Computer assisted imagery on simple softwares to illustrate the trees evolution.

From my observation, inferring theoretical model, I designed works in progress as outdoor art.

Digital modeling was difficult using the simple softwares I found, so I used an alternative. Visualizations with clay maquettes for environmental sculptures using Gourmand Trees. Both initial and advanced stage of evolution of a same project allowed interpolation with a morphing software, and edition of animated sequences.

Infographs

Maquettes

Videos (some day)

Application

Living Memory

A first public artwork from my observations of the Gourmand Trees: Work in progress.
Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area, Kingston, Ontario (Canada)

Juried commission of an artwork in Kingston (Ontario), for the Millenium Project organized by the Kingston Artists Association and the Modern Fuel Gallery. Project is for installing artworks addressing reunification of Man with Nature on the rise of the 3rd Millenium. A steel cage is locked around a tree which wood will swallow with the bars.

Lecture and presentation:

Les Arbres gourmands et l’art technologique (Gourmand Trees and technology art), invited by INTERSCULPT ‘97, French Senate, Paris, France, october 14, 1997.

Commissionned artwork through Québec's Percent-for-art juried program. Moissons Agriculture School, Commission scolaire de la Vallée-des-Tisserands, Beauharnois, Québec (Canada).

Title:
«Arbres gourmands (horaire, annuaire, seuils du jour)»
A monumental solar dial "transfers" the hours to Gourmand Trees for "stocking" time in their wood's memory.

Solar dial with Gourmand Trees in Beauharnois, invited to the 5th annual conference of the Commission des Cadrans solaires du Québec (Quebec commission for solar dials), Stade Olympic Stadium, Montreal, october 10, 1998.

Gluttonous Trees and virtual time: computer assistance in demonstrating growth of works in progress. Computer and Sculpture Forum, International Sculpture Conference IS'98, Chicago, Illinois, USA. May 23, 1998

Limited edition, published by the author, with calligraphy and pictures.

An outstanding book in hand-made luxury binding.
An exceptional collection of most surprizing Gourmand Trees.

The artist book

Photos in the book

This project was not recommended by the Funds.

Millenium Plaza project

But Parcs Canada will finally have no funds for it.

J.Armand Bombardier Foundation, Valcourt, may 21.

Gourmand Trees and the expedition to Jerusalem has been twice a subject at Macadam Tribus on the French radio network of the CBC :
To hear the two interviews in French, use the search function with keyword "Primeau" and click on "soumettre".
Archives of Macadam Tribus.

Planetary Museum of Coexistence Trees
Living monuments to acceptance of differences

Awarded for the preliminary work to create a Planetary group of Green Spaces starting in Jerusalem, Israel. Because of the Council's generosity (the grant was twice the requested amount), this allowed to begin extending the project to a tree in Cairo, and another in Paris, in the same pre-planning expedition of November 2000.

This project is to include some Gourmand Trees into small green spaces worldwide. A Website is the main pivot and shows progress of the artwork.

But initial Jerusalem garden is postponed due to the New Intifadah. Therefore, the whole project is stalled.

I have given sevceral names to the same project:
Planetary Monument of Coexistence Trees
Planetary Museum of Coexistence Trees
Planetary Culture of Coexistence Trees

Projects in Jerusalem (Israel) and in Cairo (Egypt)

Trees, networks, and neurones: similarities.
during the Journées de la Culture,
Collège de Valleyfield, september 28, 2001.

The use of Internet-linked Computers to catalyst the world's largest environmental and conceptual artwork: the Planetary garden of Coexistence Trees, International Sculpture Conference, Pittsburgh, USA, june 2001.

or Coexistence Bonsai
in an original ceramic

/ yuu boku /

(japanese translation: thanks to Megumi Oba: megumioba@home.com )
(help for bonsai-ification by Claude Bernard)

First seen at the exhibition
"Au seuil du présent, état de la sculpture en 2001"
(Threshold of our time: what's in contemporary sculpture in 2001)
Galerie d’Arts contemporains, Montréal.

1992-2004: A page showing other trees, plus the ones received from readers through the Internet.

Support by Cirque du Soleil for these exhibitions.

- Main building of the Cirque du Soleil, Montréal.
- La Balustrade, Monument National theatre, Montréal.

Coexistences' BLOG

Mission: showing trees that unite with artifacts in several locations worldwide. I mark the Gourmand Trees with a little sign and I suggest thinking of coexistence among Humans.

This Blog also intends to become a forum to exchange ideas about humans coexisting...

Visit the Coexistence Blog