Angela Palmer British, b. 1957
Lines of Time (i), 2023
One sheet of engraved glass, underlit
64 x 50 x 5.5 cm
25 1/4 x 19 3/4 x 2 1/8 in
25 1/4 x 19 3/4 x 2 1/8 in
Unique
In 2009, Angela Palmer installed ten enormous rainforest tree stumps in Trafalgar Square to highlight the shocking rate of deforestation across the globe. Entitled Ghost Forest, this important work was...
In 2009, Angela Palmer installed ten enormous rainforest tree stumps in Trafalgar Square to highlight the shocking rate of deforestation across the globe. Entitled Ghost Forest, this important work was shown at the UN Climate Change conference and Oxford Natural History Museum and is now permanently sited at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales.
In a similar vein, ‘Lines of Time’ also asks us to consider the fragility of our forests in the drawn tree rings Palmer has painstakingly hand-etched into glass. These particular rings are inspired by a consignment of ancient teak that was en route to the UK in 1917, when the merchant ship it was travelling on was shot down by a German U-boat. This teak lay on the seabed for over 100 years where it was naturally sculpted by marine boring insects in some areas, yet immaculately preserved in others.
By highlighting these trees’ extraordinary journey as well as their timeless beauty, Palmer hopes that they will remind us to consider the devastating impact humans have had in a relatively short space of time and be more appreciative of our planet.
In a similar vein, ‘Lines of Time’ also asks us to consider the fragility of our forests in the drawn tree rings Palmer has painstakingly hand-etched into glass. These particular rings are inspired by a consignment of ancient teak that was en route to the UK in 1917, when the merchant ship it was travelling on was shot down by a German U-boat. This teak lay on the seabed for over 100 years where it was naturally sculpted by marine boring insects in some areas, yet immaculately preserved in others.
By highlighting these trees’ extraordinary journey as well as their timeless beauty, Palmer hopes that they will remind us to consider the devastating impact humans have had in a relatively short space of time and be more appreciative of our planet.
