Rob Finn

​Creating a New Naturalism

Understanding trees as unique characters challenges the traditional conception of them as classifications of species, or members of symbolic tableaus, or impulses of our subconscious. As we acknowledge their distinct form and vitality, we are led to de-objectify each tree.

By synthesizing naturalistic watercolor techniques, digital representation, and biological processes this series achieves a New Naturalism:

Energetic gestural marks and fluid effects observe the physiological similarities between humans and trees.

Blooms of pigment and airy washes describe transitions through space and areas affected by vapors emitted by trees.

Depictions of ethereal buoyancy and intricate anatomy convey a complicated distribution of chemicals, nutrients, and water through the bodies of trees.

Antithetical to Realism and its ethos of man’s dominance over the world, this New Naturalism is rooted in environmentalism and the importance of both diversity and individuality.