Now on show | The Art of Trees

Celebrate spring at the Harley Foundation with four new tree-themed exhibitions at the Harley Gallery.

From 20th April, the new exhibitions will show everything from detailed drawings to glittering glass by four artists exploring the theme of trees and woodlands. 

Anthony Whishaw: Treescapes

Anthony Whishaw RA started painting 75 years ago and has never looked back. His work deals with explorations of memory and experience. In this exhibition, visitors will see eight of Whishaw’s interpretations of woodland. These oversized, abstract paintings will offer an almost immersive experience, filling the gallery with bark and branches.

Effie Burns: Earthly Treasures

Working in cast glass, Effie Burns collects and preserves branches, buds and other natural ephemera. These tactile, jewel-like objects demand to be held, coveted and collected. They will be displayed in the Portland Collection Museum alongside historic gems and treasures, including a carved emerald seal from the 17th century.

Mark Frith: Ancient Oaks

See ten astonishingly detailed pencil drawings of Britain’s ancient oaks. Visitors will marvel at the scale of the 1.5- metre-wide graphite drawings. These tree portraits are not only beautiful but serve as a record of our enduring oaks. Highlights include a depiction of Nottinghamshire’s Major Oak.

Paul Hart: Truncated

Paul Hart’s photographs explore our relationship with the landscape. Created using black and white analogue processes, Truncated depicts an ageing pine forest plantation in nearby Derbyshire. Hart photographed this woodland for a period of threeyears. These atmospheric tree portraits will transport visitors into the depths of the forest, where little light can reach.

Plan your visit with further information at www.harleyfoundation.org.uk 

Image credit: King John Oak by Mark Frith