Again, the Tree, Knot, Flower, and Me
James Surls
Patinaed bronze and stainless steel
Herring Hall Lawn
Gift of the Milus E. Hindman and Mason Matthews, Jr. Fund
As with many of Surls’ pieces, Again, the Tree, Knot, Flower, and Me cuts to the heart of the complex nature of the human psyche. Surls uses his often-implemented flower motif to represent the beautiful, soft side of humanity, while the bare branches portray the starker realities of existence. In the middle, the Knot displays the human mind itself (Me) and all the complexity that resides therein. The Tree incorporates the natural world; its trunk is a cast of a tree located at Surls’ home in Colorado.