This is my work in the Royal Academy Summer exhibition. My Neighbour’s Tree-the Plight of the Urban Tree looks at one particular tree but is also universal looking at urban trees in general. This is why the work is on view both in London and in Delft!
This drawing is of my neighbour’s tree. Like many in the street it has a strange shape because branches were regularly removed and roots were sawn off because they grew under the road surface and damaged it. Last year half of it died so the council decided to remove it. A man came without warning, stepped out of an expensive car and spray-painted a vivid pink cross over the tree and 4 months later it was removed. I call this the plight of the urban tree because it is one of many that are dealing with extreme conditions: drought, storm run-off, pollution, poor soil, unknowing council maintenance workers and heavy lorries passing. When they grow too big they are also removed. The criteria for survival as an urban tree are harsh. Despite this the trees are beloved by the neighbourhood. We build islands of wild flowers around the base, creating an insect corridor down the street.
In my drawing I wanted to capture the starkness of the cross, a delicate colour but a confrontational image. I used the same neon spray paint as the city council did. I wanted to create a memorial to the tree. Despite what it has gone through it remained beautiful and I wanted to capture that too.
I want to create a dialogue between inhabitants and trees. I wanted to connect both more closely. I wanted to be an advocate for this tree, to witness its existence-its passing has not gone unnoticed. I want to recognise its value and that of its remaining companions. I want trees to be more fully integrated into the urban landscape and have a stronger connection to each other and to us.