Plastic tree
At Art Basel, Switzerland in 2015, a work called Plastic Tree was very eye-catching. The work spreads out on a huge wall, and colorful plastic bags are hung on the extended dry branches. Pascale Marthine Tayou, the author of this installation art, interprets this work as "the flower of a tree", saying that this work is a strange mutation which integrates architectural, natural and artificial elements and is related to radiation and genetic modification. In the huge exhibition hall, the magnificent old branches form a strange contrast with the soft and light plastic bags. These colorful plastic bags really shine like flowers. Of course, plastic bags only shine in the eyes of the viewer, and the concept of environmental protection must have been shining in my heart.
Branches of various distances and sizes grow horizontally from the surface, subverting our usual experience and traditional relationship with trees. Bark, instead of leaves, has bright plastic bags on its edges, which are tightly bound to every organic limb. Works visually symbolize the harmful effects of pollution and consumerism on the environment, and "plastic tree" is also a study of the artistic quality of plastic as a medium and its combination with natural materials.