ABORETUM
Pamphlet stitch bound, 20-page Risograph artist’s book, edition of 10. Images made using solar prints and halftones from the artist’s photographs of a forest in eastern Iceland. Text typed on an IBM Selectric typewriter, 2024. Printed on text and cover weight French paper. 11” tall x 8,5” wide
Arboretum is a fictional narrative inspired by visits to Aboretum Mörk in Hallormsstaður Forest near Egilsstaðir, Iceland in 2022. Forests are fairly rare in Iceland. Between the harsh climate, the impact of agriculture and frequent volcanic eruptions, it isn’t an ideal climate for large trees.
The narrative was inspired by a real life poet/composer who loved the forest, as well as the dedications, memorials and carved tree sculptures in the park. In this fictionalized narrative, I imagine the poet established and raised the imported trees in the arboretum as a gift to his wife who immigrated to Iceland. The color palette of vivid blues and greens recalls my memories of the lush summer landscape of Iceland, echoing the purity of the trees, sky and lake.
By processing my original full color photos into solar prints and single color halftones, my memories and impressions of the forest took on a lyrical energy. I typed the text on a friends’s IBM Selectric typewriter, laid it out with the images, and printed the pages on a risograph machine.
