Understories

‘Understories’ is an intimate study of a decaying Beech tree and the lives that are fostered in its death. The work explores the duality of anticipatory grief - where sorrow and loss coexist with the possibility of renewal.

I photographed amidst the undergrowth of a decaying Beech tree for three years, trying to make sense of the existential dread I felt while my father waited for life-saving surgery. Visiting this tree became a solitary ritual that continues long after his recovery. I am compelled to keep returning, to listen to exchanges in a language that is not my own and witness the events of the clearing’s life cycles. 

Around this giant, there is a microcosm of beings. Without the tree's canopy to shade it, an amphitheatre has opened up where lives gather in intricate webs of reciprocal relationships. With each visit I recognise familiar beings and reflect on our past encounters. 

The photographs in ‘Understories’ are hand-printed, using developers made from the plants that grow in the tree’s clearing. The prints are imbued with the plants, creating unique pieces that cannot be exactly replicated. They can have the rich blacks of a conventional darkroom print, but they can also appear faded or toned by the tannins of the plant.

I tamped down the soft mulch at your feet and put a ladder up against your trunk. I wanted to see what you see. I climbed as high as I dared but I barely reached the stump of your lowest limb. There was a black hole part way up your trunk. I stuck my hand inside and felt how fragile you are.