Sapin de Douglas. 57 ans (2021) Printmaking by Adrien Thivolle (l'âge des arbres)

L'âge des arbres* is an artistic approach to patterns from the vegetal world, and more particularly to dendrochronology: the scientific method of dating trees.

This work is about revealing the history of trees, of their memory, by portraying them. By printing the growth rings that each represent one year on paper, the gae of te tree is revealed as its unique and specific fingerprint.

The word treeprint is the one I chose to define my work: the imprint of the age of trees.

My work begins with the search for the tree: the species, the shape of the trunk, the history of the tree will be decisive for this choice. Curiosity and chance drive this research. I explore forests, gardens and parks, river beds, forestry operations in search of trunks that will tell their story.

It is important to specify that I work from dead trees, fallen (accident, storm ...) or cut during forestry work.

A living and healthy tree will never be used in my work.

Once the tree has been chosen, I cut the slice, the "cross section" that will be used to make the imprint. 

I prepare the cuts in my workshop and then make the prints by applying the ink directly to the trunk, like a stamp, so the result is the 1: 1 scale image of the trunk.

Each imprint, even if it comes from the same trunk, is made unique by slight variations in colors and details inherent to the technique.

The shapes revealed by this technique are endless and always surprise me because they only reveal themselves when I remove the paper from the trunk.

If “seeing is understanding”, then to see is for me the role of art in society. If we want Homo Sapiens Sapiens to continue living on this planet, it is necessary to re-learn to understand nature. So let's start by looking at it carefully and with respect because it is also our own human nature and our future that we are looking at.

To the classic nature AND culture, I prefer to think that nature IS culture.

*l'âge des arbres is french for the age of the trees

About the artist.

Adrien Thivolle is an artist and architect born in 1988 in Auvergne, France where he lives and works, particularly on the question of our relationship to nature.

After studying applied arts and architecture in Paris, he worked for a few years as an architect in the French capital and in Amsterdam.

Following a serious illness, he returned to Auvergne, the land of his childhood, to take root again.

His artistic and architectural works are linked to the search for a harmonious relationship between man and nature, the search for a balance.

L'âge des arbres is the first part of this exploration, which began in 2019.

• Nationality: FRANCE
• Date of birth : unknown date
• Artistic domains: Works by professional artists,
• Groups: Professional Artist Contemporary French Artists