Notes

Forel’s works are invitations to find art in nature. In this piece, the artist plays with the idea of art with nature. While Forel 'zoomed in' to explore the intricate abstract patterns found in the textures of trees, Matthews 'zoomed in' on the circle – symbolic of the smallest element of life, the cell and nucleus – and used it as a symbol of rebirth and the cycle of life.

Of Synchromies, Forel said it could have been subtitled natura pinxit, painted by nature. In response, the artist chose to also make the material used in this work. Discarded paper was collected, boiled, and pulped together with crushed leaves and flowers, tea, cinnamon, mustard, crushed seeds, coffee, and cumin, among other ingredients, to create colour and texture. Through the acts of collecting, crushing, kneading, and moulding the pulp, the artist felt as though they were collaborating with nature to form a new expression of it – driven by the belief that the essence of our humanity is deeply tied to our connection with the natural world.

Loosely based on the Fibonacci sequence, the layout of the piece draws on the universal language of growth and structure. By making paper pulp from scratch, through destruction (fire), tearing (wind and water), and soaking (water), the artist found resonance between the process, the material, and the meaning, all reflecting circularity. The bowl shapes evoke sustenance, sheltering seeds, animals, and birds, much like a nest.

As the forms dried, they warped and changed, resembling bark or seeds; a result that was embraced. The viewer is encouraged to find the art hidden in nature and the nature embedded in the artwork itself.