THE NEW SHOW OF PAINTINGS IS ON DISPLAY AT THE GARDEN MUSEUM
In 2023, the illegal felling of the world-famous Sycamore Gap tree prompted fury as well as grief. It wasn’t just a tree but the site of countless photographs, proposals and birthdays – a landmark rooted in a community.
In her latest solo exhibition, The Lost Trees, artist Nancy Cadogan depicts 18 other trees that have now disappeared from our landscapes, exploring the emotional, social and environmental significance of these trees and what it means when they are taken away.
THE LOST TREES IMMORTALISES CASUALTIES OF DEVELOPMENT
This body of work was initially sparked by the felling of trees in Cadogan's neighbourhood for the HS2 project. Witnessing the community’s grief and feeling of helplessness, she began to paint these lasting reminders.
Cadogan says: “I wanted to make paintings that honour these amazing giants that aren’t around anymore, owing to our own human folly.
“We look to trees for their longevity, for being greater than us, but they’re at the mercy of our whims. It doesn’t take much to fell a tree, but it takes hundreds of years to grow one.
“I want to tell the stories about what those trees did. I want these paintings to be huge, great memorials to lost trees. Not just seeing them in their environmental sense, but also seeing them as harbourers of people’s stories and relationships, and how they measure time.”
The Lost Trees features large-scale paintings of both well-known and unnamed trees and invites viewers to consider their own relationships and lasting impact on the natural world, especially in light of modern development.
