Art 4 Sale

(Christmas) Tree-Ring Prints on ‘Climbed paper’, Personal Tree Dedications and Exhibition Posters.

A new art shop has opened right here on your computer.
Totally unique gifts with Christmas, family/friendship at the core. (and they look cool – I think! Ha!)
If you don’t know about UpTrees have a quick look at my summary here.
In short though, I climbed a tree every day for a year, interviewing people UpTrees and making the most of it all as a series of arts projects.

SO! what’s in THE ‘SHOP’!    First….

2010 Trafalgar Sq. Christmas Tree Ring Prints
on ‘Climbed Paper’

(about £25 inc. postage – only 15 / 11 /  10 available)

Read on! I think you’ll like the ‘story’ behind them…

Limited edition prints of the Norwegian Spruce Trafalgar Square Christmas tree rings from 2010, as interpreted by the brilliant Indian carpenter/craftsman/artist Puneet Dadu.
The print shown here was made using black paint but I’ve been inspired by the Indian Hindu Spring Festival of Colour, so I’ve been experimenting with colour and I’m really pleased! So far there’s 5 ‘styles’ – as named:
Rough White Colour
Clean White Colour
Natural Colour (clean paper)
Black Colour
Colour Colour
Clean White Copper (or Rough White Copper)
(Also Black Copper – not displayed here but very effective!)

Pick one you like! I also have two blank sheets of the special paper that could be used for a unique commission. Perhaps you have favourite colours or an idea of your own. How about pink on black? I’ll charge an extra £8 to do a special print as the block has to be cleaned and dried between each session.

I climbed this tree before it was cut down in Oslo and sent to London as the customary annual thank you for looking after the King and Prime minister during World War 2. You can read more about the climb here. It’s also the same tree student protestors set on fire. It had quite a journey and marks the middle of the project and aptly the centre piece to UpTrees.

At the tree cutting ceremony I was given a slice of the trunk and I spent a long time tracing the rings in Photoshop.  I then sent this image to a carpenter in India via the Indian Block Company.

The wooden printing block I received from India really is a masterpiece! 50 cm across and hand carved in local hard wood called Sheshim. I loved the fact I asked for the printing block to be a fairly accurate interpretation within reason… Puneet however added his own flourishes that have nothing to do with the design I sent. His culture leaving an imprint on the work. A collaboration.

It fits well with how I’ve begun to think about our connectedness to each other, our work and the things we buy. Corporate run business tends to homogenise and rinse out the personalities of the workers. In my ideal world we are all more invested in the things we produce.

What’s Climbed paper?

A secondary Norwegian Spruce I climbed, (dedicated to the first woman to die in a women’s rights protest), was also cut down. I took a log from it to Peterson’s paper factory in Moss, Norway, where they processed it for me. This second tree also formed the basis for the exhibition in Lillehammer, Norway. The project was a lot to do with sustainability and as I already mentioned, became interested in getting closer to the things we use. Delivering my own wood from a tree I was involved with cutting down seemed a fitting way to follow this idea through.

There are many more layers to the story of this print that will be outlined in greater detail with your purchase. (or if you buy the book yet to be made!).

HOW MUCH FOR A PRINT?

This particular batch is very limited as I was only able to carry a bit of the paper back from Norway with me. There are now 11 available so the first to email me to confirm a purchase can buy one for £25 each, (about $38), including postage and packing. mailto: uptrees (at) gauntlettandson.com

I will try and get them to you for Christmas but if your request is late for last guaranteed post I will send you a photo and background to the work by email that you can print off yourself in the mean time.
I think the 21st December is the deadline if the print is sent by courier with Royal mail to guarantee delivery by Christmas within the UK.

If you miss out on a print from this run I will be getting what’s left of this ‘special’ paper from Norway in 2012 so send me an email with your interest and I’ll let you know when more become available.

Tree Dedications

From £15

UpTrees was about many things but the notion of family became more and more important culminating in the Family Tree party to end the project. So I began dedicating trees I climbed to people in the family. Here’s one for Martin. Actually martin died some years ago but he was important to me and I wanted him to be a part of this.

So I will climb a tree for you or your loved one as a dedication. I’ll make a sign with your personal message on it and photograph it up in a tree. You get a print and your message becomes part of UpTrees.

More ideas and images to follow but think of the tradition where lovers carve their names into a tree. This is the less brutal version. I’m providing a service. I climb for you. I deliver your message for you and your message becomes part of this sprawling Tree Climbing book project.

You get: either a high quality digital print of the image from a selection of the pictures I take, or you can have the digital files and print them yourself.

I can’t guarantee physical prints will be ready for Christmas but I can make sure you get images of your tree sent by email for then.

All you need do is email me your dedication, (max. 60 characters). It could start with: ‘This tree is dedicated to’

I’m also open to collaborations if you have particular ideas for your dedication.

Here’s how I’m breaking the prices down:
The climb, written and photographed dedication: £15
Prints and postage 8×15 inches: £8 (Optional)
Total: £23

I’ll use your email address to send you a money request through Paypal.
Contact: uptrees {at} gauntlettandson.com

Exhibition Poster

Here it is… the poster. Comes in 3 sizes and in black or white version. Again – send the order to my email address and I’ll invoice you via paypal.
Sizes and prices to follow.

Other gifts

I have to admit I’m quite repulsed by the glut that Christmas has become in the light of what else is going on in the world. Consequently, every year I consider trying to give more gifts that have a charitable angle.

Here’s a few that you can try if you don’t fancy a dedication, poster or print:
Greenpeace – a Christmas Tree for the Amazon.
Oxfam: A goat is for life not just for…