Exiles
Shanghai, China. 2007 - 2008
Walking through Shanghai, it was the numbers stamped on the trees that were subsequently painted and re-painted over which initially caught my eye; the repetitive numbering and erasing leaving painted patterns that mimicked each tree’s bark. The trees seemed to be presenting some strange and secret language, encoded in number and remaining for brief moments in time. The trees which line the roads of Shanghai are sometimes thought to have been originally planted by the French colonists who, along with the British and Americans once occupied a section of the city. The trees are actually Oriental Plane, and are native to Asia but have been used in the beautification of cities throughout the world including London, New York and Paris. The series was produced in the form of a hard-back book: Buckram finish, 12 pages, 9 colour plates, 340mm x 240mm
