In the realm of art, trees have long been a significant motif. Since the 1960s, a select group of post-modern artists have presented trees, at times in their natural state, as sculptures. The distinction lies between creating art "out of" a tree versus crafting art "with" a tree. Wood has served as a medium for artistic expression since ancient times, commonly utilized in sculptures and as the foundation for paper—one of the most prevalent art materials—often paired with wooden pencils or charcoal.

When we visualize a tree, we find it embodies many criteria that art critics apply to sculptures. Consider a tree—its three-dimensionality, the visual rhythm of its patterns, and the balance between symmetry and asymmetry. Does it evoke a landscape or reflect the human form?

Typically, an unaltered tree meets these aesthetic standards. In fact, when placed alongside a standard sculpture, an ordinary tree often stands out as more visually appealing. The primary barrier to classifying a tree as 'art' stems from the traditional definition of art, which emphasizes human creation over natural origin.

Ancient sacred groves, such as those of the Druids, represent some of the earliest examples of intentionally planted trees imbued with spiritual significance. However, these groves eventually served practical purposes, with oak timber being used for shipbuilding and yew branches for longbows.

Various cultures globally have regarded natural trees as sacred. The practice of adorning trees with colored ribbons traces back to paganism and continues in many modern religions. For instance, the Bodhi tree, under which Buddha attained enlightenment, holds great significance. Indigenous peoples of the Americas tie ceremonial cloths to trees at sacred sites, while ancient trees in Eastern Europe are dedicated to Catholic saints. The tradition of decorating Christmas trees has evolved into a secular celebration, offering a creative outlet for many.

In East Asia, trees have been revered for centuries. The ancient Chinese art of penjing involves cultivating miniature trees in pots through careful pruning and care, allowing them to develop the characteristics of mature trees. The Japanese adopted this practice, refining it into bonsai, which emphasizes a structured artistic approach. Exquisite bonsai specimens, nurtured over generations, can be valued as highly as works by renowned artists like Picasso or Van Gogh.

This article will also explore a few post-modern artists who have sought to incorporate trees into their work with minimal alteration. Some have engaged with living trees, allowing their growth to inform their artistic expression. Others have transplanted living trees into gallery settings, recontextualizing them in new environments. This concept aligns with Marcel Duchamp's ideas about meaning through context and Robert Smithson's notions of 'site and non-site.'

The term 'Arte Povera' was introduced in 1967 by Italian curator Germano Celant to describe art that employs everyday, unremarkable materials typically excluded from fine art. Artists in this movement often crafted works using discarded items or natural materials sourced from their surroundings, such as sticks and clay.

One prominent figure in Arte Povera is Giuseppe Penone, whose work investigates the harmonious relationship between humanity and nature. He perceives trees as distinct organisms that share similarities with the human body; both grow, digest, and have circulatory systems.

In 1969, Penone acquired a substantial piece of timber initially intended for construction. He carved the wood to reveal the structure of the tree as it was at the age of 22—his own age at the time—naming the piece Il Suo Essere nel Ventiduesimo Adi Età in un’Ora Fantastica (His Being in the Twenty-Second Year of His Age in a Fantastic Hour).

Similar to Auguste Rodin, who sometimes retained parts of raw marble in his sculptures, Penone preserved aspects of the beam's original shape. This choice evokes wonder while illustrating material properties and artistic techniques, acknowledging prior industrial processes.

When we observe knots in structural wood, such as floorboards or tabletops, how often do we reflect on them as cross-sections of the tree's growth? Each knot represents a moment in the tree's life cycle.

Sculptors engaged in carving navigate negative space within their compositions, relying on the absence of material to reveal forms. Penone's discoveries, however, were not purely imaginative; he unveiled shapes that genuinely existed within the wood. His approach resembles archaeology and marks the beginning of his ongoing Alberi series.

Penone views trees as time capsules, with their growth rings recording seasonal changes and environmental interactions. Beginning in 1968, he launched the poignant Mano di Ferro (Hand of Iron) series. He created a mold of his hand grasping a young tree trunk, casting it in iron and affixing it to the tree where he held it. This physical connection captures a moment of interaction, with the tree eventually incorporating the ‘poetic hand’ into its trunk. This work evolves, as Penone later returns to these trees to cast sections in bronze for exhibitions.

Penone's sculptures, while simplistic, coexist with trees, remaining unchanged as they grow alongside the volumes he positions among their branches. His work creates a balance, enhancing the tree's natural structures and crafting a harmonious visual experience. He sometimes substitutes convincing bronze replicas for living trees in exhibitions, leaving the originals in their natural settings.

> "Rise trees of the wood, of the forest, rise trees of the orchards, of the avenues, of the gardens, of the parks, rise from the wood that you have formed, take us back to the memory of your lives, tell us about the events, the seasons, the contacts of your existence. Take us back to the woodland, the darkness, the shadow, the scent of the undergrowth, the wonder of the cathedral that is born in the woodland." — Giuseppe Penone, 1979

David Nash, another artist working with trees in the late 1960s, began his practice by sculpting trees that had fallen due to storms or development. He would select the dominant form of the tree and sculpt it with a chainsaw, creating simplified versions that retained the natural balance of the original.

Though Nash alters the trees to create his sculptures, he perceives this work as a collaboration between artist and tree. When asked how long it takes to create a piece, he responds, "a hundred years or so," as he factors in the time it took for the tree to grow.

In the 1970s, Nash produced significant works, including Ash Dome, which involves shaping a grove of living trees into a dome, and Wooden Boulder, which utilized the landscape and water cycle to create a ‘drawing’ through space-time, illustrating the journey of rainfall runoff.

Gardeners have historically sculpted trees through training, creating grand compositions in landscape gardening. Traditional topiary involves clipping shrubs into formal shapes, while Nash’s Twmps at Powis Castle feature flowing forms resembling massive green clouds.

In 1982, Joseph Beuys initiated his ambitious 7000 Oaks project, merging art with social awareness. The project involved planting 7,000 oak trees throughout Kassel, Germany, each accompanied by a basalt standing stone, forming a 'Beuys Tree.' This arrangement required town planner approval and provided legal protection to ensure their preservation.

As a founding member of the German Green Party, Beuys saw his 7000 Oaks as a form of socio-political reform, challenging urbanization and promoting accessible green spaces. He viewed trees as extensions of our biology, akin to external lungs, emphasizing their role in our respiratory system.

Beuys Trees became symbols for activists seeking to protect land earmarked for development. The strategic placement of these trees drew attention to such plans and disrupted them.

Although Beuys passed away in 1986, the legacy of 7000 Oaks endures. The project has grown internationally, with the Dia Art Foundation planting Beuys Trees in New York City. The initiative continues to expand, incorporating various species alongside oaks.

Building on Beuys' analogy of trees as external lungs, Christo wrapped trees at the Beyeler Foundation and Berower Park in Switzerland. When illuminated, the branches become visible within the translucent fabric, resembling x-rays of lungs.

In 1998, Maurizio Cattelan staged a provocative installation, transplanting a living olive tree with roots into a massive cube of soil in a gallery. The earthy aroma heightened the physical presence of the installation, emphasizing the hidden structures of a tree—its roots—supporting its visible parts. This metaphor extends to the public personas of politicians and the unseen motivations that guide us.

Cattelan's installation challenges viewers to reconsider their perception of everyday trees, stimulating thoughts about the negative space where the tree and its earth have been removed. This work aligns with concepts of Land Art and Robert Smithson’s site and non-site theories.

Angela Palmer's Ghost Forest installation transported ten massive tree stumps from Ghana's rainforests to Trafalgar Square, London, in 2009. The piece exemplifies Joseph Beuys' idea of social sculpture, emphasizing the logistics of sourcing and transporting these remnants.

Palmer's motivation stemmed from the alarming rates of global deforestation, with an area the size of a rugby pitch being destroyed every four seconds. She hoped the imposing presence of these stumps would evoke the grandeur of their former lives and highlight their absence.

This work also engages with Smithson's site and non-site concept, inviting viewers to mentally traverse the distance between the installation and the forest where these trees once thrived. It raises existential questions about our own transience in a world dependent on biodiversity.

Ultimately, utilizing trees as art raises urgent environmental conversations. Ghost Forest has toured various locations, including Copenhagen for the 2009 Earth Summit and the National Botanic Gardens of Wales, where it remains.

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