Tree Love


More Love: In keeping with the Tree Feature theme, reader Rich thought I might appreciate the recent movie, The Fountain. He was quite correct, I really enjoyed it, and the rather beautiful tree (seen above) that played an important metaphorical role in it. Watching the special features on the disk, glimpsing how the filmmakers constructed their star tree inspired me to forge on with my own little creation with renewed courage.

(More on the film pulled from comments: I thought they did a superb job of crafting something hugely difficult, the delicacy of an eternal, spiritual reality. I loved how they wove multidimensional existence into one narrative--not an easy feat! I thought all involved managed to pull off beautifully rendered visual poetry. Applause, applause from me.

Paul looked up the Amazon reviews and while some seemed to enjoy it and get the filmmakers, Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel's intent, many were so frustrated by it. One review disparagingly called it "Art over Entertainment" which I wholeheartedly agreed with as an assessment. Except in my case, that statement makes the film an utter triumph.

I was nearly going to add this [DID] to the Tree Love post because it was so key. I am definitely going for "art over entertainment" with Halfland, without question, firmly believing that there will be some like me that will be meaningfully entertained by seeing the art.")


Reader Ben saw this early photograph (The dryad, c.1910, photograph: John Cimon Warburg/The Royal Photographic Society Collection at the National Media Museum in CORRECTION: West Yorkshire, England)) the other day. He thought it evoked a magical quality to which both our projects aspire.
Ben also sent me this great shot of a bike, long left in the crook of a tree, slowly became part of the tree as it grew. This is the kind of feel I have in mind for the things that have grown into the kitchen in Halfland's Answer Tree. Love it. Thanks, Ben.
Today's (7/27/07) episode of Rocket Boom has a sweet little film that demonstrates to me the very best in humanity and our shared affection for trees. It made me teary, damn hormones.

Comments

  1. Anonymous5:47 AM

    :)

    That was lovely. Trees are so deserving of hugs.

    Regarding that bike in the tree... there is a biologist/scientist in the UK named Rupert Sheldrake who observed something similar and it inspired him to write "a new science of life" in which he talks about how nature does not have laws, but has memory. Consciousness.

    It would have been a much more inspiring read for me if I'd had the brain for it, but you probably do! Check it out!

    Thanks for that little blog to the right of the tree. You are very kind.

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  2. Gulp. hi.

    (So you write about things you like on the Interweb and then the PEOPLE YOU WRITE ABOUT WRITE YOU!!!? I love the Internet so hard right now.)

    Hi Fredo, Interesting, I hadn't heard about official observations of the memory of nature, thank you for mentioning it. I'll see if I can track it down.

    I've been following some of Rupert's other work from interviews and documentaries over the years, though never tried reading any of it. You're a braver soul. He was the first scientist/biologist that engaged me in his interest. Thanks for the reminder.

    I find the things you create exciting and inspiring. I'm blown away that you came by.

    Thank you.

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  3. "Rupert's.... the first scientist/biologist that engaged me in his interest"

    Sagan is gonna be SOOOO jealous!!!!

    ;)

    And yeah, that's what happens sometimes - so be careful what/who you write about! (Aint it cool?)

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  4. Thanks for Showing Those. By the way that Museum isn't in London. I have infact never gone to london. It takes about five hours or so to get there!

    The Museum is in West Yorkshire

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  5. Anonymous7:32 AM

    yeah, you gotta love google alerts. :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous8:33 PM

    If you can get half the feeling of those photo's into HalfLand you'll have a wonderful production indeed.

    Your tree below is looking way cool! Talking of cooooool, I got the HalfLand Limited Edition Button today. Yay! *runs around in joy filled circles*

    Whew... dizzy...

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  7. @Mike, oh yeah, I forgot about Carl Sagan! You're right, he was my first!

    @Ben, all this time I pictured you living in London!? West Yorkshire, eh? Is it nice and green there?

    @Fredo, I had never heard of Google alerts before you wrote the name here. I Goggled it and signed up on the spot. An hour later I had a hit I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. Thank you, yet again, for the boost! Hunting for your blog next.

    @Rich, I'm so glad you wrote tonight, we just finished watching The Fountain upon your recommendation, and loved it! Man, I thought they did a superb job of crafting something hugely difficult, the delicacy of an eternal, spiritual reality. I loved how they wove multidimensional existence into one narrative--not an easy feat! I thought all involved managed to pull off beautifully rendered visual poetry. Applause, applause from me.

    Paul looked up the Amazon reviews and while some seemed to enjoy it and get the filmmaker's intent, many were so frustrated by it. One review disparagingly called it "Art over Entertainment" which I wholeheartedly agreed with as an assessment. Except in my case, that statement makes the film an utter triumph.

    I was nearly going to add this to the Tree Love post because it was so key. I am definitely going for "art over entertainment" with Halfland, without question, firmly believing that there will be some like me that will be meaningfully entertained by seeing the art.

    Thanks for the invaluable tip(s), each of you!

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  8. oh, PS: Sven would especially appeciate the wildly creative and effective "outer space" visual FX made by Peter Parks of various chemical reactions in petri dishes composited in to macro cosmos interpretations. They were magnificent.

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  9. I've read about those fx -- but haven't seen the film yet. Looking forward to seeing it!

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  10. Yes there are alot of fields. Type in my postcode to google earth!

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  11. what an incredible, mystical, beautfil picture with the woman in the trunk.

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  12. Yes, Isn't it beautiful, Jessica?!

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