The Magic of Trees

Some of the oldest and most enduring myths involve the tree. Why this is, should be obvious, for without trees there would be no oxygen, fire, heat, wood, paper, nor dwellings -- in short, no life as we know it. Like water, trees are not just metaphors for life, they are life. This book celebrates the tree as it inspires artistic imagination, and gathers together the arboreal images of such artists as Friedrich, Monet, Cezanne, Giacometti, Ernst, Beuys, Baselitz, Penone, and many others, as well as artists and artisans From Africa and the Pacific. Here, those who have identified with trees for their symbolic, aesthetic, and natural principles of life preservation, are represented and discussed, and the role of the tree in folklore, magic, religion, and aesthetics, is considered.