Artworks features “Arbus Reconstructus”

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Having shared a studio space for a number of years, Orcas Island artists Tina Brown, a bookbinder and printer, and Geoff Shilling, a weaver, have collaborated to create a unique art piece for the Orcas Island Artworks’ December feature.

“Arbus Reconstructus” is a reconstructed tree, in which natural material from a tree (wood and paper) is bound together with man-made materials (steel and plastic) to form an echo of the original tree.

Shilling focused on the trunk and main limbs of the tree, cutting various species of wood into small squares, drilling them through and then weaving them together with steel wire to form a cloth-like structure and stretching it over a wooden form. Brown produced the smaller limbs from steel wire and the leaves from laminated plastic and bookbinding paper.

The result is a striking and vibrant wall sculpture, on display through the end of December. The Artworks is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.