Trees express their longevity in their breadth, height, and trajectory, making visible their enviable lifespan. The parallel ambitions of nature and humanity are embodied by this growth: born of seed, life begins with an immediate defiance of origin and gravity toward a single trajectory—upward. Humankind’s natural drive is a rising path toward fulfillment, and the fundamental goal of many beliefs and religions likewise lies above. Found within the landscape of British Columbia; the ladder rung as a means of ascent, captured in various states of dereliction and ruin, becomes an expression of the ephemeral, temporal, and transcendental. In this sense, “All Born of Earth Have a Common Direction” leads us to a chronological and existential threshold where nature and humanity coalesce into one.

Untitled (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Whistler, B.C.)

Untitled (Acer macrophyllum, Squamish First Nations, B.C.)

Untitled (Tsuga heterophylla, Tsawwassen, B.C.)

Untitled (Thuja plicata, Whistler, B.C.)

Untitled (Pseudotsuga menziesii et Alnus Rubra, Cumberland, B.C.)

The Magenta Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of TD Bank Group for their ongoing commitment to Flash Forward and to emerging artists.

© 2019 The Magenta Foundation

Website by 
The Office of Gilbert Li