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Nothing says summer like a leisurely afternoon in the garden. The Katonah Museum of Art’s provides the perfect outdoor spot to eat lunch or escape for some peaceful moments beneath the magnificent 100-year-old Norway Spruce trees that stand sentry over the Sculpture Garden. On June 5, things will get even more interesting as five of Joseph Wheelwright’s giant anthropomorphic “Tree Figures” are introduced into the Garden and the South Lawn. |
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“Much of his work involves only slight alteration, inviting the viewer to consider how nature nourishes the spirit and feeds the soul.”
Joseph Wheelwright, Yellow Birch Figure,2009. Carved Yellow Birch Tree, 211 x 93 x 72 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Allan Stone Gallery.
If a Tree Stands In the Garden, Will You See It?
Stephanie Williams
Nothing says summer like a leisurely afternoon in the garden. The Katonah Museum of Art’s provides the perfect outdoor spot to eat lunch or escape for some peaceful moments beneath the magnificent 100-year-old Norway Spruce trees that stand sentry over the Sculpture Garden. On June 5, things will get even more interesting as five of Joseph Wheelwright’s giant anthropomorphic “Tree Figures” are introduced into the Garden and the South Lawn.
Joseph Wheelwright’s tree figures are a reflection of his reverence for nature and personal desire to collaborate with it. Wheelwright carefully surveys his land in Vermont for trees suggestive of the human form before uprooting them, turning them upside-down and transforming them into anthropomorphic sculptures that appear as though they are growing out of the earth. The trees, which range up to 27 feet tall, invite a dialogue between the natural and the manmade, as bifurcated trunks become legs, and roots become heads and arms, all while firmly retaining their identities as a product of nature.
Wheelwright is a sculptor who draws inspiration from natural materials – trees, stones, and bones found throughout New England. Much of his work involves only slight alteration, inviting the viewer to consider how nature nourishes the spirit and feeds the soul.
The Sculpture Garden is open during regular Museum hours, Tuesday – Saturday, from10am-5pm, and Sundays from 12-5pm. The Katonah Museum of Art is located at 134 Jay Street/Route 22 in Katonah. For more information, please call (914) 232-9555, ext. 0 or visit http://katonahmuseum.org/. For more information about Joseph Wheelwright and his sculptures, visit http://joewheelwright.com/.
