Installation, Intervention and Concept

Presence: evocation of a tree spirit…

July 2025. In the garden of the ancient Westbury Farmhouse where my studio is, stands the Westbury Butler apple tree. A rare and unique example of a lost variety, she’s at least a hundred years old – and probably a fair bit older according to the expert fruit tree specialist who assessed her a few years ago. Completely hollow, this tree is still producing an abundant crop of apples every year, even though she is propped to prevent a catastrophic fall.

I find this special tree has a presence and gravity which makes me wonder what events and changes she must have witnessed over the passage of time…

I placed these “eyes” very carefully in the tree, selecting holes that definitely had an alternative exit or were shallow surface indentations, so as not to disturb any creatures that live in the tree. Formed using raw clay and painted marbles to look as believable as possible, with a soft glisten when sunlight caught them – they were designed to gradually melt away as weather and/or animals and birds removed them.