Uproot I, II, III, IV
Charcoal on paper
36 x 46 inches

Uproot is a series of charcoal drawings of uprooted ponderosa pine trees. The images are based on ponderosa pines in Flagstaff’s Coconino National Forest that were downed in a violent windstorm in autumn 2020. Exposing their enormous root system, which is wide spreading with a deep taproot, it can be observed how these trees are typically adaptable to windy, dry conditions and high elevation.

In retrospect, these images metaphorically reflect the turbulent fall season of 2020, which was shrouded in a global health emergency, the climate crisis, national political upheaval, and civil unrest. Ponderosa pines are naturally resilient to harsh conditions; what circumstances can weaken even the strongest stature?