Dancing with deadwood
Mind Map of project evolution.
I’d become fascinated with the natural sculptural forms of deadwood trees in the ancient woodland near my house. Standing above dead trees or walking by, as most of us do, I hadn’t noticed the teeming life springing from the decay. I wanted a closer look at the funghi. I wondered what it was like to be a mighty tree, fallen and hosting a new cycle of life.
I embarked on a mapping of the deadwood in Highgate Wood, using my body to mimic and understand their form. I lay down with the trees to view the wood and its biodiversity from another perspective. Recording my discoveries of species and sounds and researching the richness of the woodland diversity I noticed the lack of human diversity and wondered what was the impact and why so few people in the woods look like me.
Links to speculative design project for woodland armour.
Credits: Portraits with deadwood: Lehni Lamide Davies; photos of woodland species: Tyler Moorehead
Credits: Portraits with deadwood: Lehni Lamide Davies; photos of woodland species: Tyler Moorehead