The Last Tree
The Last Tree at the ISE Cultural Center
Babs Reingold
The Last Tree
Video soundtrack for the installation
The Last Tree is a monumental installation of 193 tree stump sculptures encased in metal pails and placed in a grid formation to transform the gallery space into a barren landscape. The number of stumps corresponds to that of the countries in the world, namely, those members of the United Nations. One large tree rises from the grid, as a symbol of the “last tree,” which is in danger of its extinction from the earth. The devastated stumps are poised to witness the destruction of the “last tree” – a fate that humanity is bringing onto itself. Accompanying video projections and sounds amplify the urgency of the situation.
The Last Tree was shown at the ISE Cultural Center in 2013 and traveled to the Birchfield Penney Art Center in 2016.
