Deep in the forests of North Bend, Washington, sits a140-year old Western Hemlock tree that is as impressive in size as it is in longevity. Something this old and beautiful found in nature can be incredibly moving, and artist John Grade wanted to express that through his work. Together with a team of arborists, they created a plaster mold of the living tree, transporting the mold in pieces back to his studio. Over the course of 12 months, many volunteers helped to create a sculpture that mimics the shape of the tree, using small wooden blocks to build around the plaster molds. Not only is Grade’s work a feat of engineering, but also a showcase of subtle nuances found in nature, recreated by a community of people who all approached the project from a different perspective. Eventually the sculpture will be brought back to the forest to decompose in the same place that it was born, but for now, the piece resides in the MadArt space in Seattle. The images and photos from this project are truly spectacular.
->**Watch the video below**<-