Artist Statement
The title of the found object installation art, Naturally Mirrored, created for Hawthorn Hollow’s Artist in Residency program, references the parallels of patterns that can be seen throughout nature's structures. The subject of this particular piece, tree roots mounted to repurposed poles, calls to mind the way a tree's visible branches closely mirrors its usually unseen root system. As I walk through the woods, I like to imagine what the ground of a forest floor would look like if the soil were transparent, allowing me to marvel at the tree’s foundation as well as its branches. I have wondered how different this effect would be from the forest floor being a mirror.
Nature is filled with repeating patterns and sequences. Two of nature's most prominent patterns, fractals, and The Golden Spiral, are showcased in Naturally Mirrored. Each tree root network is an example of a fractal pattern. A fractal pattern is defined as a geometric shape whose part reflects a whole. It operates similarly to a matryoshka, the Russian nesting doll. For instance, as you look closer and closer at the details of the tree roots, even the smallest roots replicate the overall form of the tree root. The other pattern represented is The Golden Spiral, also referred to as the Fibonacci Sequence; this very exact spiral is mirrored across nature from nautilus shells, and flower seeds, to ocean waves. The shape of the path in which the tree roots are placed follows the Golden Spiral’s proportions.
The vast majority of my art is inspired by my wonderment at nature's seemingly casual creation. Focusing my time and attention on nature's infinitely intricate details makes me appreciate both the strength and the delicacy of the world I inhabit.
See More Naturalistic Root Art
"Naturally Mirrored" is not these tree roots only debut in Sinclair Myhre's nature portfolio.
Explore Beneath a hanging sculptural work where the viewer walks beneath the forest's floor.
Check out roots that have been sold to decorate homes, hang in unique settings, and mount to walls.
