MARION GAEMERS

In this body of work I am exploring plant growth, seed development and distribution. It is fascinating that the largest tree will grow from the smallest seed. They reproduce these seeds in the thousands, usually in a protective pod or fruit. I love the environments that are created around trees. They change the temperature, provide shade, shelter for birds and animals, and materials for me to use. It is important that urban environments have spaces for trees.

For Tree I am exploring the shapes of pods, mainly using materials that are produced by trees. Some pods are a loose interpretation of a pod found in the Townsville area.

The poinciana (Delonix regia) pods are shapes from childhood. Large poinciana trees dropped so many of these pods that had to be collected before mowing.

Pod 5 and Pod 6 are generic pod shapes. Local trees like Castanospermum australe (black bean tree) and Canarium australianum have pods and seeds similar in shape. The Canarium is a very small pod with one seed inside while the black bean pods are much larger with large multiple seeds.

Pod 7 and Pod 8 are based on the long black pods of the Cassia fistula

The choice of material to make my pods started by wanting to use materials produced by trees. So much that is produced by trees can be woven into shapes and was used by people all over the world to make traditional baskets. I have used petioles which are leaf stalks from both poinciana and cassia trees. Both grow well in Townsville’s tropical climate.

They are woven together with raffia which comes from raffia (Raphia) palms. Coconut fibre from inside a coconut is used to make the poinciana pods. The other material I have used in Pod 6 is lomandra which is a native grass that grows at the base of trees in wet areas, helping to hold the soil together.