On The Skin Of Giants (OTSOG)

On the Skin of Giants is an exploration of tree bark as an ecosystem, a microcosm of our own human scale environments. Each illustration is a portal into a different world.  


The point where realism blends into abstract forms is particularly fascinating. Picture the view out of an airplane window at the point where our familiar landscapes morph into an abstract tapestry of shapes in a surprising rainbow of colours.  Hidden in plain sight, a story of both geology and human intervention emerges.  An inky serpentine path is a river, an angular gash of concrete a town, a purple square is a flower farm field.  Similar motifs are echoed in tree bark.  Brightly coloured different patches of lichen jostle and climb over each other for sunlight and water on tree branches.  On a fallen trunk, under flaked off areas of outer bark, channels left by parasitic insects create an intricate maze. 


On the Skin of Giants draws the viewer into the weird and wonderful micro-environments living on our giant neighbours. The living beings that call tree bark home are perpetually layering onto and transforming their world, sometimes even leading to their host’s decline or death.  Each piece is an exploration of life and death, symbiosis and parasitism. Showcasing bark ecosystems from a variety of tree species at various life stages and from various broader environments, the collection invites reflection on the impact of human activities, even on ecosystems we scarcely notice.