Woodcut

If there is, indeed, nothing lovelier than a tree, Connecticut-based artist Bryan Nash Gill (1961–2013) showed us why. Creating prints from cross sections of trees, Gill revealed the sublime power locked inside their arboreal rings, patterns not only of great beauty but also a year-by-year record of the life and times of the fallen or damaged logs. The artist rescued the wood from the property surrounding his studio and neighboring land, extracted and prepared blocks of various species—including ash, maple, oak, spruce, and willow—and then printed them by carefully following and pressing the contours of the rings until the intricate designs transferred from tree to paper. These exquisitely detailed prints are collected and published in this updated edition that features which now includes a new introduction by Bill McKibben. Also featured are Gill's series of printed lumber and offcuts, such as burls, branches, knots, and scrubs, and an interview with the artist describing his labor-intensive printmaking process. Woodcut will appeal to anybody who appreciates the grandeur and mystery of trees, as well as those who work with wood and marvel at the rich history embedded in its growth.