Working alongside Edwina fitzPatrick, Swansea University’s UK Oak Project have been collecting and analysing very small cores from healthy mature trees in Fineshade Wood. Each core reveals the tree’s age, growing patterns, past weather conditions and stresses such as diseases. In effect, they are the tree’s own archive: each specimen reveals its ‘autobiography’.
Edwina is our current in residence at Fineshade Wood, investigating the forest as a living archive that traces human activity in relation to the landscape. Working with foresters, regular visitors to Fineshade Wood and local resources, Edwina is creating The Archive of the Trees – temporary sited artworks which will combine imagery from the collected cores, Forestry Commission tree records, historical archival and local anecdotes about the weather.
Edwina is the first of four artist residencies at Fineshade Wood from 2018 to 2020 as part of our two year programme, The Forest Is The Museum. The following residencies will be with Justin Carter, Owl Project, plus Abigail Lane and Lala Meredith-Vula.