We hope that you enjoy your self guided walk through the Trinity College Trees exhibition.
You can choose from one of two walk options, either starting from the Main Square with the Oregon Maple tree or from behind the Science Gallery at the Physic Garden with the Yew tree. An audio guide has been created for each option. All you need to do is click on your desired option below, listen and enjoy!
We hope that you enjoy your self guided walk through the Trinity College Trees exhibition.
You can choose from one of two walk options, either starting from the Main Square with the Oregon Maple tree or from behind the Science Gallery at the Physic Garden with the Yew tree. An audio guide has been created for each option. All you need to do is click on your desired option below, listen and enjoy!
We hope that you enjoy your self guided walk through the Trinity College Trees exhibition.
You can choose from one of two walk options, either starting from the Main Square with the Oregon Maple tree or from behind the Science Gallery at the Physic Garden with the Yew tree. An audio guide has been created for each option. All you need to do is click on your desired option below, listen and enjoy!
The Crab Apple Tree, Malus ‘Golden Hornet’ (Trinity Tree number 298). Inside the Rose garden.
The Crab Apple is a small tree, bearing attractive pink/white apple blossoms in the spring and small apples in the autumn. It is a native species found in hedgerows and old woodlands throughout the countryside. Unlike modern hybrid apples, crab apples grow true from the apple pips. See above image of the crab apple tree in the Rose Garden, Trinity College Dublin.
The apple tree is celebrated in Celtic mythology, legend, and folklore as an emblem of fruitfulness and is sometimes seen as a means to immortality.
Each microscopic image taken for this project represents a snapshot in time as each tree, leaf and branch are in a constant state of change. For the crab apple tree artwork the artist decided to engage with this notion of time or more specifically the people that lingered in the Rose Garden between 12 noon and 2pm on Friday the 12th of May 2017. The resultant artwork reflects the mood and sentiments of ten willing participants who were resting in the intimate and peaceful surroundings of the Rose garden.
For the duration of the exhibition Hassett has installed ten perspex pieces, which have been hung from various branches of the Crab apple tree. This piece is reminiscent not only of rag trees where people tie ribbons and ask for blessings but also trees of hope and remembrance. The image above was taken last May and is of a cherry blossom tree in the Rose Garden.
Together the ten pieces join to reflect an image taken of the dried out skin of the apple fruit. See image above taken by Clodagh Dooley.
Etched onto each perspex element, in their own handwriting, is the participants response to the question ‘what do you think, feel about this space?’ See image above – sample of a perspex element.
Guided walk 29/09/17 at 5.15 open to bookings on Eventbrite
Follow the link below to book a free ticket. Spaces are limited so book early.
Guided walk, Trinity College Trees Exhibition, 29th September at 5.15
Event Description:
As part of the opening event of the Trinity College Trees Exhibition one of the project team will give a guided walk to the artworks installed in eight trees on the Trinity College Campus.
Hear about a select number of wonderful TCD trees and the scientific and artistic inspirations behind the artworks on display. This walk also forms part of the TCD PROBE event for European Researchers Night.
There is a limited number of places on this guided walk. Meet at the main arch in front of the main square, Trinity College Dublin at 17.10, walk begins at 17.15.
Alternatively anyone who would like to visit the exhibition on their own time can download a recorded sound piece outlining information on the trees and the artworks. Visit trinitycollegetrees.wordpress.com.
The Trinity College Trees Exhibition opens on Friday September 29th and runs until Sunday October 29th 2017. Exhibition open during normal Trinity College opening hours.
The pair of Plane trees, (Platanus orientalis) is situated opposite the Law Library in Trinity College Dublin. See above image above.
Platanus trees are tall, reaching 30–50 m (98–164 ft) in height and are native to the Northern Hemisphere. Plane trees shed their bark every two to three years getting rid of certain amounts of pollution with the old bark. It is for this reason that they are frequently planted in urban areas.
This pair of trees are genetically related. As a result of an infection during their infancy both trees have an unusual lumpy bark and thick trunks. The lumpy protrusions on the bark are called nodules and continue to grow and regularly fall off the infected lower trunk.
These nodules were the starting point in the development of the plane tree artworks. Initially Hassett collected a large fallen nodule (see image above of the nodule used) and made a two-piece mould from it. Coloured wax was poured into the mould and expanding foam was added to the interior as a strengthener. Two replica wax works were then created.
Interest in microscopic imagery of the haphazard cell structures (see images above) from both infected barks led to the artist to include a representative pattern of cellular ‘holes’ in both wax works. She used imagery from the right tree in the artwork designed for the left and visa versa for the artwork installed in the right tree. In addition both wax pieces were deliberately installed opposite each other further heightening the connection and unique nature of these two trees.
Of note: the artist spent many hours researching and attempting in vain to develop a viable bioplastic recipe to use in the creation of these works. Wax was the material of choice in the end as it will be interesting to see how the sticky surface and structure of the wax pieces will morph and alter in response to its environs over the course of the exhibition.
Images of the artworks in situ will be posted after the opening of the Exhibition on the 29th of September 2017.
Snake bark maples include 18–21 species, and are mostly found in eastern Asia. Snake bark maples are most easily distinguished from other maples by their distinctive bark, smooth when young and usually patterned with vertical alternating dark and light stripes as the tree ages.
See image above, the Snake Bark tree, which is situated opposite the Berkeley Library.
The main inspiration for the artwork that will be installed in this tree was the pod-like structure, unearthed during the microscopic imaging process. See image above.
Also included in the artwork are representations of the oblong lenticles, which are breathing holes visible to the naked eye on the green and white striped bark. See image above.
The artist was also inspired by Japanese street culture from the nineties represented in books like Fruits and Fresh Fruits.
The artwork created by Hassett is made from neoprene, lycra and lycra netting. Images of the final artwork in situ will be posted after the opening on September 29th 2017.
David Taylor and Olivia Hassett visited CONTACT Studio today to record the sound piece that will accompany the self guided walk to the various trees and artworks. David Taylor is the narrator on the sound piece and Gerry Horan recorded and edited the work.
After a few hours, lots of water and a few spoons of honey to soothe David’s throat we completed the recording. We look forward to launching this sound piece at the opening of the exhibition on Friday September 29th.
A special thanks to Gerry Horan who runs CONTACT studio in RUA RED. CONTACT Studio is a professionally run and equipped recording studio based in South Dublin County. The studio is a South Dublin County Council’s Arts Office initiative and is subsidised to encourage artists, youth groups and community groups in the county to record and archive their work.
The Oregon Maple, location: Main square.
The main point of interest for our team and key inspiration for the artwork was the bracing system. This is a very precise system of high tensile stainless steel cables that have been stretched between the heavy limbs and the main trunk thus spreading the load of the heavier branches throughout the tree.
An interesting piece of information is that when the tree surgeon has drilled the correct size holes to insert the support rods he has only a 30 second time frame before the tree will start to repair itself and begin closing the holes.
Large yellow tendon-line artworks have been created by the artist in response to this tree. These swathes of fabric will be stretched between the limbs and the trunk of the tree on the left mirroring some of the steel cables in the bracing system.
The material used for the artwork is a large continuous length of elasticated lycra. The imagery printed onto the fabric is inspired by the microscopic photographs taken from a cross section of a small branch highlighting the linear cellular pattern of the maple.
The team will post some images of this art work after the exhibition opens to the public on Friday 29th of September 2017.
Image 1: the scanning electron microscope image that inspired the artwork for the Oregon Maple.
Image 2: the in-between image. The artist worked with various photoshop filters and touchup techniques to arrive at the final result.
Image 3: is the final artwork that was transferred onto a printing screen.
As part of the opening event for the Trinity College Trees Exhibition there will be a guided walk to all the exhibits by one of the project team. The walk will take place on Friday 29th September between 5.15-5.45. There will be a limited number of spaces. Details on how to sign up for the guided walk will be posted nearer the time.
If you are unable to book a slot on the guided walk don’t worry the team are also in the process of developing a sound piece that will accompany those wishing to take a self guided walk from Saturday the 30th of September until the end of the exhibition. Once the walker brings their own headphones they can visit the works at their leisure. In front of each of the chosen trees the team also plan to have an A4 stand with a brief description of the project and the positioning of each tree on a campus map.
There will be two versions of sound piece depending on which end of the campus you are starting will determine the listing of the trees and which sound piece you click on. One version of the sound piece covers the walk if you are starting in the main square at the Oregon Maple. The other version if you are starting at the Science Gallery.
Included in the audio piece is a brief introduction to the Trinity Trees Project, the trees involved and the artworks commissioned in response to these trees.
trinitycollegetrees.wordpress.com 