Since the 1970s, Charles Gaines (Earlier) has mapped out the vast, unpredictable forms of trees on numbered grilles. He started with walnut trees In 1975, which he photographed while he was bald and then deported on hand -drawn graph paper.
A leader in the conceptual art movement, Gaines’ works ask viewers to explore the relationships between what seems to be something and what it means when it shifts from one context to the next. He also argues for a larger gap between subjectivity and aesthetics, instead he emphasizes the enormous role of culture in shaping our experiences.
In his constant Songs and trees Series, Gaines continues to map differences. During a visit from 2023 to Tanzania, the artist photographed majestic Baobabs, who form the basis for a collection of triptychs that entail the beautiful specimens with colorful numbered grilles. Gnarled tribes and spindly offshoots both layer on top and are masked by Gaines’ sequences, all viewed by sheets of Plexiglas.
The Baobab is known as “The Tree of Life” because of its lifetime, countless roles in the preservation of the savannah ecosystem and the ability to host entire habitats in its awnings. The samples are often associated with folklore and myth and in the era of the climate disaster there are some of the victims of relentless drought. Depending on the location, the era and the community, the trees can serve a wide range of purposes and have a multitude of symbolism.
Icons of the African continent, Baobabs also connect to the history of colonialism and slavery. In this context they are distorted and mediated by the organizing principles of both Gaines and the Acryltoren. “What you bring to the image contributes to the image,” says the artist.
Songs and trees, the Tanzania Baobabs can be seen from February 19 to May 24 Hauser & Wirth West Hollywood.
