Joyce Tenneson (US American, b. 1945)
Fork Shaped Tree, 2016
archival pigment print on paper
17″ x 22″
Gift of Carmen Campanelli. 2020.126.9
Fork Shaped Tree comes from the series The Alchemy of Light, which is made up of photographs that were all taken within ten miles of Joyce Tenneson’s home and studio in Maine. Whenever Tenneson observed a thick fog in the morning light, she would venture out to photograph her surroundings. The golden hue which adds to the sense of mysticism was added in post-production and is partially meant to transport viewers to a new realm. Gold has been used throughout art history, from Christian altarpieces to Buddhist temples and Inca sculptures, as a means to communicate with and honor the divine. Tenneson wanted to tie this sense of the divine to the mystical connection she feels with trees.