friction ridge, 2020-22

Found charcoal on paper

Pigment print on cold press

44 x 55"

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This series of drawings were made by using the technique of rubbings, and by applying charcoal found on burned tree trunks onto thin paper. Rather than a 1:1 rendition, the composition results from interpretive tracing, by taking impressions of several areas of the tree. The title “Friction Ridge” is inspired by a scientific term used for fingerprint development on the skin made up of micro folds and valleys. Similarly the friction of my fingers onto the paper creates abstract patterns, lines, circles and textures which make the tree's energy visible. ​

 

While the 2020 rubbings are off of found pieces of redwood; the 2022 rubbings are off an 800 year old ancient redwood tree left by loggers because it was damaged. It’s odd features allowed it to survive, and today it remains one of the oldest redwoods on The Sea Ranch. "Friction Ridge" express a feeling for the fragility of California's forests, recently made clear through wildfires and climate change.