oak

"Oak" is a letterpress printed poem on fallen oak leaves collected from a tree in my urban garden, which is nearing the end of its long life and has been tagged by the city for removal.

In many cultures, oaks are considered to be among the most venerated trees, and ecologically are considered a keystone species in a wide range of global habitats.

The series includes a version that is coated in 24K gold leaf, recalling ancient crowns from classical Greece and Rome, which were used for funerary or ceremonial purposes. Oaks were also associated with prophecy and divination practices.

The gilded version is a play on the idiom "to gild the lily", which originates from a line from William Shakespeare's play King John: "To gild refined gold, to paint the lily", referencing the futility of adding unnecessary ornamentation or embellishment to something that is already beautiful or perfect.