garth meyer - study of trees

1

GARTH MEYER[Study of Trees]

The Newtown37 Quinn StreetNewtownJohannesburg

T +27 (0)72 6580 762C +27 (0)72 3835 [email protected]

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE & PRICELIST

GARTH MEYER[Study of Trees]

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE & PRICELIST

The Newtown37 Quinn StreetNewtownJohannesburg

T +27 (0)72 6580 762C +27 (0)72 3835 [email protected]

Study of Trees is a collection of photographs by Garth Meyer drawn from his ongoing,

long-term project based on the documentation of diminishing primary forests in South, Central and West Africa. Throughout his travels Meyer has archived selected trees from critically degraded forests, saving them for posterity on film. His journeys to various countries form part of his artistic process, based on a conviction to document the ever-present human element that has lead to the depletion of indigenous and original trees.

Meyer’s emphasis on the craft of photography is connected to his cognitive awareness about the plight of the world’s primary forests. From this basis Meyer brings the poetic to the practical, using a now rare 11x14-inch large-format camera, known for the high-resolution and super-realism that it can achieve. The crisp, clear detail evident in Study of Trees allows Meyer to capture often-imperceptible visual information about trees, characterizing the subject matter of his work, forming his conceptual foundation.

Albeit an overtly romantic notion, the level of clarity and realism achieved in Study of Trees entices a counter-level of realization, framing that which is usually filtered-out of the human field-of-vision, or simply taken for granted. From this perspective Meyer has shaped his process to fit the tradition of nature photography, following in the footsteps of other large-format photographers, such as Steven Shore, Eliot Porter, and Ansel Adams. Unlike these masters of photography, Meyer’s documentation is a call-to-arms,

communicating the possible loss of the subjects up for study in his photographs, trees-turned-objectified-bodies in a human incarcerated world. Meyer’s emphasis on the documentation of endangered forests across the world has given him good reason to travel to many isolated geographies, crossing many borders in order to capture his didactic imagery. Study of Trees is thus a collection of photographic texts extracted from his journeys, branding his photographs with a personal, artistic mark, filled with introverted undertones, communicating an almost spiritual connection to his tree studies. Imbued with a sense of nostalgia and possible loss, depicted through hyper-realistic, black and white scenes, Meyer’s work becomes abstract through an overload of sensory information. This variety of realism-turned-abstraction transfers the disparate story of these virgin, untainted trees plagued by deforestation and the demands of the ever-growing, equally desperate yet indifferent human population. From this basis, Meyer immortalizes about-to-be-erased natural scenes, palimpsests for a foreboding future, where the landscape, without trees, would be nothing more than desert.

Meyer’s play of abstraction against realism makes his work inadvertently mimic late 20th century Modernist painters, such as Jackson Pollock and Franz Kline, known for their contributions to the Abstract Expressionist movement. Thus, Meyer’s photographs have a painterly edge; they look like paintings, rather than the other way round, as was the case with the Photo-Realist painters, such as Chuck Close and Richard Estes. Meyer’s unconscious hybridization of

Introduction:

Abstract Expressionism and Photo-Realism allows him to build surprising relationships between the seemingly opposing concepts of realism, naturalism, and abstraction, making his work grounded on both formal and conceptual foundations.

This cross-pollination of realism and abstraction also alludes to the distinction between ‘pure pattern’ and ‘pure image’. Simultaneously, Meyer pays homage to the link between the craft of photography and the art of photography. So too, his images are realistic depictions of dying forests that are communicated through realist understandings of climate change, population growth, and deforestation, which require abstract forms of thinking and seeing in order to find relevant and sustainable solutions. Notably, the documentary-like characteristics and study-like approach evident in Study of Trees brings the differing worlds of the journalist, scientist, and artist together, in much the same manner that Joseph Beuys envisioned a holistic social role and responsibility for artists, with the key understanding that we are all artists in relation to our place, space, and environment.

Furtherore, Study of Trees challenges the common perception of nature photography as an industry that merely produces ‘pretty pictures’ or ‘coach art’. Meyer creates this challenge by subtlety mangling the traditional disciplines of landscape, still life, and portraiture in order to depict his trees in the most effective manner. Due to the fact that it is people that hold the responsibility for the loss of such landscapes, Meyer turns a study of trees into an anthropological investigation of sorts. Meyer portrays his trees as if they were

people, contextualizing the idea of mortality on a human scale, literally becoming ‘still-life’, and further releasing his work from the realm of kitsch that often dominates nature photography.

From a purely formal stance, Meyer’s work is reminiscent of similar attempts to capture the essence and spirit of trees. Most importantly, the work of Inter-World-War Modernist painter Piet Mondrian comes to mind, with his prolific studies of trees (circa 1912, opposite page), which evolved from Expressionist roots into geometric abstractions, morphing trees into grids. The influence of Paul Cezanne and his tree studies on Mondrian cannot be ignored, specifically through his gradual abstraction of the picture plane, which can be seen as an ancesteral root to Modernism. One can observe from the evolution of Cezanne to Mondrain a form of territorializing; a mapping of the landscape, a terraforming of the land into and onto the substrate. Meyer has poeticized this evolution through his own observations of the progress and destruction of man, and has transferred this message onto the photographic topology and topography of his work.

But perhaps the most prudent example in this context is John Constable’s Study of the Trunk of an Elm Tree (1821, opposite page), made at the height of the Industrial Revolution, representing a desire and respect for nature in a time of rampant urbanization mechanization, and population growth. Constable’s painting, produced around the time of the invention of photography, poses a similar question to that which situates Meyer’s work, only Meyer is set within the context of a post-industrial, globalized world with a different set of

(Above) Jackson Pollock, Lavender Mist (1950). Oil on canvas.

(Above) Franz Kline, Mahoning (1956). Oil and paper collage on canvas.

(Above) Richard Estes, Nedick’s (1970). Oil on canvas.

(Above) Chuck Close, Self-Portrait (1968). Acrylic on canvas.

problems, however stemming from consequences set by the Industrial Revolution. Some key photographers in this respect include: Charlie Meecham (The Wood), Robert Adams (Turning Back), Eliot Porter, Robert Glenn Ketchum, Joseph Sudek, and Sally Mann (Deep South). Following the Industrial Revolution, the Modernist worldview, epitomized by individuals such as Mondrian and Pollock, saw the landscape as something to be dominated, trapped, and owned: control through the grid and the substrate. Thus, it is apt that Meyer recalls their work through contemporary visions that alter Modernist hegemonies and systems of taxonomy, creating a sublime sense of consequence, neurosis and urgency.

Meyer’s socio-political commentary about over-population, globalization and deforestation can be described as a contemporary Baroque perspective, specifically regarding the counterpoise of his anthropological enquiry and the border-crossings he makes between the seemingly separate roles of the journalist, scientist and artist. Meyer constructs counter-realizations, in an attempt to portray the ingnorant and narcissistic acts of man. Essentially, by suggesting a fleeting moment where once trees existed and only deserts may remain, Meyer comments on the bankrupt bond between man and nature, centered upon an examination of the human condition through the study of trees, elevating normal, commonly ignored scenes to the level of high art and quiet political protest.

Words by Shane de Lange.

(Above) John Constable, Study of the Trunk of an Elm Tree (1821). Oil on Canvas.

(Above) Piet Mondrian, Grey Tree (1912). Oil on Canvas.

PLATES

1

Untitled (Figure #1)

Taken:Wild Coast, South Africa Summer, 2004.Hand printed: 2010Edition out of of 10

Silver halide hand printHand processedSelenium toned EnlargementFibre-based semi-matt paperNegative format: 4x5 inch. Aperture: f45.5 @ 2s.

Size options : 980mm x 860 (frame size) 740mm x 580 (image size) R12,500 excl. Vat (excl. framing) 550mm x 470mm (frame size)*360mm x 290mm (image size)* R8,500 excl. Vat (incl. framing)*

These Palms are at the end of a river in the Wild Coast area of South Africa. The river flows down into a series of reed beds, and then seems to seep away, un-derground. It is here that a vast forest of river palms exist. It took much effort to reach these trees, mainly due to sharp, thorned plants that were evereywhere. The walk was fettered with overgrown forest, eventually clearing-up to this corridor.

* Available on request.

2


Taken:Pangora, GabonWinter, 2009Hand printed: 2009Edition out of of 20

Silver halide hand printHand processedSelenium toned Contact printedFibre-based semi-matt paperNegative format: 11x14 inch Aperture: f64 @ 20s

Size options : 550mm x 470mm (frame size)330mm x 260mm (image size) R7,450 excl. Vat (incl. framing)

This image was taken on an island off the coast of Gabon. I arrived at this mangrove near the the end of my walk through the forest, just before I reached the other side of the Island. I was told that the mangrove only flooded during the wet season, hence the reason for it being dry and exposed. In a surreal manner one tree seemed to float above the rest, almost as if it uprooted itself and walked about at night.

3




Size options : 620mm x 550mm (board size)330mm x 260mm (image size) R7,450 excl. Vat (incl. framing)

I came across this gigantic plant on an abanded plot in a busy suburb near Port St Francis, South Africa. The uncanny breadth and girth of the vegitation made it difficult to cut-down or move; so it was left alone, to its own devices in an isolated corner of the plot.

4



Silver halide hand printHand processedSelenium toned Contact printedFibre-based semi-matt paperNegative format: 11x14 inch Aperture: f45.5 @ 38s


This is the same mangrove (depicted in Figure #2) that I found on an island off the coast of Gabon. I was so enchanted by the surreal nature of the setting that I had to take advantage of the different shots on offer. Moving through the Mangrove involved a lot of climbing and crawling, which only added to its charm.

5


Taken:Mikongo, GabonWinter, 2009Hand printed: 2009Edition out of of 20

Silver halide hand printHand processedSelenium toned EnlargementFibre-based semi-matt paperNegative format: 4x5 inch Aperture: f45.5 @ 40s

Size options : 980mm x 860 (frame size)* 740mm x 580 (image size)*R12,500 excl. Vat (excl. framing)*620mm x 550mm (board size)360mm x 290mm (image size) R7,450 excl. Vat (incl. framing)

This is an image of a 50 meter high giant, with a base diameter of 5 meters that I stumbled upon in the middle of a protected area in Gabon. Sadly, this area will not be protected anymore, and loggers are planning to chop down these mammoth trees because the land is worth a fortune. Once the forest is removed, they plan to build a new road here.

6



Silver halide hand printHand processedSelenium toned EnlargementFibre-based semi-matt paperNegative format: 4x5 inch Aperture: f32 @ 22s


This scene was taken along a trail near the WWF Mikongo Camp and Research Centre. Every day we would do an 8-hour-long hike into the forest, known for its rich bio-diversity. It was winter so the forest was dry and cool, and is apparently very different during the wet season.

7





On the same daily 8-hour walk during winter in Mikongo, Gabon, I searched for a place that would display the lushness of the corridors in the forest. I used a small aperture as getting the leaves sharp enough in the foreground was important in order to capture the experience.

8





This shot was taken after walk-ing for aproximately 6 hours up steep hills and through dense forest. We were looking for forest Elephants and could hear them in the distance. Other than the Elephants distant rumblings, the place was quiet. I remember feeling at peace in this quiet, but could not ignore a slight sense of fear within me.

9





I found this shot behind a veil of leaves, in the midst of a small valley. It was nearing evening, at the end of a long day and there was a luminescent backlight that set the stage for this scene. I was not too far away from the camp and felt fairly safe, despite having seen a Gabon Viper in the area the previous day.

10



Silver halide hand printHand processedSelenium toned EnlargementFibre-based semi-matt paperNegative format: 4x5 inchAperture: f22.5 @ 2s

Size options : 980mm x 860 (frame size)* 740mm x 580 (image size)*R12,500 excl. Vat (excl. framing)*550mm x 470mm (frame size)360mm x 290mm (image size) R8,500 excl. Vat (incl. framing)

This is the last of three images I took on an island off the coast of Gabon. The mangrove was near the end of the forest, just before I reached the ocean. It was far enough away from the ocean not to be flooded, but I was told this was not the case during the wet season. I kept returning to same spot to observe the light. On the third day I had run out of 11x14 inch film and shot this picture in 6x7 inch format. The light seemed better than before, and I was thankful to capture this moment.

11


Taken:Wild Coast, South AfricaSummer, 2004Hand printed: 2009Edition out of of 50


Size options : 980mm x 860 (frame size) 740mm x 580 (image size) R12,500 excl. Vat (excl. framing) 550mm x 470mm (frame size)360mm x 290mm (image size) R7,450 excl. Vat (incl. framing)

These are the same Palms that depicted in Figure #1, taken at the end of a river near the Wild Coast in South Africa. I spent days here as I knew this was a significant scene. I took several shots experimenting with depth and composition desperate to capture what I was feeling on film.

12


Taken:ZimbabweSummer, 2000Hand printed: 2010Edition out of of 50

Silver halide hand printHand processedSelenium toned Contact printedFibre-based semi-matt paperNegative format: 11x14 inch Aperture: f45.5 @ 1s

Size options :550mm x 470mm (frame size)330mm x 260mm (image size) R7,450 excl. Vat (incl. framing)

It took me over two years before I started taking satisfactory pictures with my 11x14-inch camera. This image is one of my first succesful photographs using my custom-made box camera. I was in Zimbabwe, and kept returning to this bamboo to figure-out how it would work in large-format.It was thanks to this image that I realized the camera demanded subject matter that could fill the negative space.

13


Taken:ZimbabweWinter, 2005Hand printed: 2010Edition out of of 50



It takes three hours to hike to the top of these granite hills in Zimbabwe. The Masasa is a slow growing, dense wood, taking centuries to grow into trees of this size. Most of these trees have been cut down in Zimbabwe and Zambia, only to be turned into coal. On the roads in Zambia it is common to find roadside stalls advertizing coal for sale. Each bag of coal sold represents the death of three of these hardwoods.

14


Taken:Limpopo, South AfricaSummer, 2006Hand printed: 2010Edition out of of 50



This masssive white Fig tree presented itself to me on a journey through a small forest situated in-between two rivers in the Limpopo region of South Africa. Stemming from a dam not too far away, the abundence of water offered by the rivers created an Eden in the midst of this extremely dry area. Further downstream the two rivers merged, forming one of the tributaries for the Limpopo river.

15


Taken:ZimbabweWinter, 2004Hand printed: 2004Edition out of of 50



Taken during the same three-hour hike to a series of granite hills in Zimbabwe, I took a few more photographs of the surrounding Masasa. These trees are slow to mature and prized for thier dense wood. To capture this scene I followed a path alongside a small stream, which eventually lead me to this massive pale red and orange cliff. I was told that this place has religious significance and is of great importance to Animists.

16


Taken:Limpopo, South AfricaSummer, 2006Hand printed: 2006Edition out of of 50



The roots are what attracted me to this scene, anchoring the trees that grow on the slope of this hill in the Limpopo region of SouthAfrica. Nearing the end of summer, the heat becomes almost unbearable, leaves are sparse, exposing the silvery-white trunks of the trees to the unforgiving Sun. Further down the hiil is a dam that feeds the two rivers leading to the Fig tree detailed in Figure #14.

17


Taken:CameroonWinter, 2008Hand printed: 2008Edition out of of 25



I had gone up a trail to photograph a waterfall that falls into the ocean, and was cut-off by the rising tide. I decided to follow the river upstream, hoping to find the road. All along the river people were washing in protected alcoves. An elderly woman began screaming at me for invading her privacy. I went further inland and found this series of dead Palm leaves, hanging vertically like curtains.

18


Taken:Wild Coast, South AfricaWinter, 2009Hand printed: 2010Edition out of of 10

Archival printDigital Epson printerQuad-toned inks, Black & White printing100% acid free, cotton paperNegative format: 22 Mega Pixels Aperture: f22/f32/f16 @ 1s


I drove ten hours to reach this small protected area in the Wild Coast area of South Africa. The roads were terrible, so I arrived there later than I had expected, sometime during the afternoon. I had used the last of my 4x5 inch film the day before, and I only had a digital SLR camera on me, capable of reaching a resolution of 22 megapixels. I decided to treat the digital image as I would any large format image. The deminishing light worked to my advantage, slanting through pockets, highlighting this rare forest with the perfect light.

19


Taken:JavaSummer, 2008Hand printed: 2009Edition out of of 20


Size options :980mm x 860 (frame size)* 740mm x 580 (image size)*R12,500 excl. Vat (excl. framing)* 620mm x 550mm (board size)360mm x 290mm (image size) R7,450 excl. Vat (incl. framing)

I took this picture after a difficult, day-long hike to see a volcano in Java. We drove back to the coast on a different road and came across a small protected strip of land. There was something about this place that transported me to a Java three hundred years earlier. It rained sporadically, and I had to shoot this scene under a small umbrella.

20


Taken:RwandaSummer, 2010Hand printed: 2010Edition out of of 10



This area of Rwanda is known for its torrential rain, heat, and humidity. Heavy rain arrives quickly, and without warning. The path was muddy, littered with stinging nettles on either side, so as I slipped along I would reach out and get stung. As I climbed I reached an area of distinct trees, covered with moss. The light was light gray-green, which inticed me to take the shot.

21





I hiked to this scene based on a recommendation from a local to the area. It was decribed as a natural African bamboo forest situated up in the hills. On arrival, the forest seemed to fit waht I had imagined a bomboo forest to be. It was difficult to find a frame or composition due to the repeating patterns and multi-directional lines in the forest. The bamboo is broken by buffalo that move through this area, fragmenting the natural lines of the forest as their horns catch the branches.


22





I hiked specifically to this area because I had heard about it from locals. It took hours to find a suitable place to shoot, and the constant rain did not help matters. The ranger whom accompanied me said that he had a few encounters with buffalo here before and found them to be quite temperamental. He kept repeating that they were common to this area, and that we should be careful.


23




Size options : 980mm x 860 (frame size)* 740mm x 580 (image size)*R12,500 excl. Vat (excl. framing)*550mm x 470mm (frame size)360mm x 290mm (image size) R8,550 excl. Vat (incl. framing

This photograph was taken in a remote area of Rwanda, situated inside a nature reserve on the border with Uganda. It was a long, arduous hike, and my guide, a park ranger, took us to this hanging Fern forest. This small, untainted area is rarely seen by human eyes.

24





With this scene I kept trying to find a place with no wind, as the moving vines were blurring due to the long exposure time of the Camera. The light also kept shifting in this dark place. My exposure time was over 30 seconds, and after some time I managed to find the detail in the shadow that I was looking for.

25





I came across this place near the starting point of the Virunga Volcano Park. This part of the park was made famous by Dianne Fossey, because it is where she first set-up camp. Although it is cropped, one can still see the remains of her hut, at the extreme left of the picture.

26




Size options :550mm x 470mm (frame size)330mm x 260mm (image size) R8,550 excl. Vat (incl. framing

This scene is situated on a border that separates protected National Park from the developing farmland in Rwanda. The farmland is literally stopped by a kind of ditch or trench, where the park begins. Once past this moat these massive trees stand, kept safe, restored in a time capsule. The ditch is patrolled by the army to protect the park from the people, and is deep enough to keep big animals away from crops.

27




Size options : 550mm x 470mm (frame size)330mm x 260mm (image size) R8,550 excl. Vat (incl. framing

Rwanda is truly a land of a thousand hills. The trail leading to this area was an epic of steep ascents and sharp descents. At the bootom of these gorges are streams which feed the dense jungle, sustaining the fragile ecosystem. Each bend seems to attract a different plant species, all huddled together, almost as if in families. The camera gets quite heavy on these trails, and I curse it under my breath sometimes, but the result is worth the pain.

28





This photograph was my first attempt at an almost pinhole image, taken at an exposure of 90 seconds with an aperture of 128. The wind proved to be a challenge, blurring the image considerably, but it finally settled down in the late afternoon. The light began to filter through from the background creating layers, which made the image well worth the wait.

29


Taken:BaliSummer, 2010Hand printed: 2010Edition out of of 10



30





31




Size options :980mm x 860 (frame size)* 740mm x 580 (image size)*R12,500 excl. Vat (excl. framing)* 550mm x 470mm (frame size)360mm x 290mm (image size) R8,550 excl. Vat (incl. framing

32


Taken:KwaZulu-NatalSummer, 2008Hand printed: 2010Edition out of of 10


Size options :980mm x 860 (frame size)* 740mm x 580 (image size)*R12,500 excl. Vat (excl. framing)* 550mm x 470mm (frame size)360mm x 290mm (image size) R8,550 excl. Vat (incl. framing

33


Taken:GabonWinter, 2009Hand printed: 2010Edition out of of 10

Silver halide hand printHand processedSelenium toned Contact printFibre-based semi-matt paperNegative format: 11x14 inch Aperture: f32 @ 19s


garth meyer - study of trees

Documents

untainted trees

selected trees

comstudy of trees

original trees

meyers work

meyers documentation

basis meyer

meyers emphasis