Ulmus Glabra

March 2022, Amsterdam Elm in Vondelpark fell 3 weeks after a violent February storm, against the direction of the wind. For six months it remained. The flowerbuds came out, the confetti of seeds one last time, green leaves as a farewell greeting, 52 annual rings.

In the months after the fall, I collected flowers, seeds, leaves, branches of bark, roots and the like. Infusions were made of all the parts to color the silk. The yarns were untangled and put on bobbins.

To color the supporting tulle of the top view root drawing, I made a concoction of parts from the roots of the Elm along with the Vondelpark soil in which the tree grew up. In the proces, the minerals contained  in the soil act as a color changer. The chemical reaction between the roots and the minerals in the soil give a deep brown color, specific for this situation.

I use the “Rootdrawing Ulmus Glabra” by Professor Erwin Lichtenegger and Dr. Lore Kutchera, scientists who have uncovered and drawn roots of hundreds of plants with enormous dedication. I adapted the root drawings for this fallen Elm in the Vondelpark. It is a diptych where one part is a side view of the tree and its roots and the other is a top view of the root system.

The Elm does not stand alone; there are memories and relationships built with its surroundings. The surrounding Vondelpark is embroidered in uncolored thread. The scientific drawings of the tree represent the physical world we know and the colors given by the tree represent the non-material world we encounter.