Souvenir of England (2007)

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Inflatable dome, fiberglass, apple tree, flocking. 15ft x 15ft x 15ft.

Souvenir of England (2007)  is a memento to the English Orchard, which is fast becoming an endangered species. The heritage apple tree inside died in a commercial orchard, its contorted shape a result of pruning. It was then dried, cut up, preserved with a coat of epoxy and flocked in black velvet. The piece was re-assembled in an orchard at Hanbury Hall and exhibited throughout the summer.

Since they were first made in 1898 to commemorate the building of the Eiffel Tower, Snow Globes have been used as mementos to encapsulate key landmarks. They have become the quintessential souvenir object, now slightly outdated and nostalgic themselves. Shaking them brings the scene to life for a brief and artificial moment of suspended disbelief.

Made via a commission from Meadow Arts