acer pseudoplatanus L. Sycamore ACERACEAE #2-1786

Acer pseudoplatanus originates from a diseased 60ft sycamore tree which was initially part painted a lurid green and then cut into equal lengths and catalogued in sequence from the base to the top into 1,786 pieces. From the early, crude illustrations of Mediaeval herbals to the elegant botanical drawing of the Victorians humanity has been obsessed with the need to identify and classify. Traveling over vast and dangerous seas to record and name new exotic plants species. Through the techniques of observation, dissection and analysis humanity has striven to understand the building blocks of life itself. By creating a pseudo scientific reference, Acer pseudoplatanus aims to highlight the construction of knowledge systems in our understanding of the world. This work was carried out within The Florence Trust Residency Programme 04/05