About

Pollards refers to trees whose upper branches are routinely pruned, an ancient practice that continues today for various uses. In urban settings, pollarding is used to keep ornamental trees at a certain height; in agriculture, it keeps branches young and prohibits them from being grazed by animals, encouraging slow but steady tree growth so as to maintain a somewhat juvenile state. In the exhibition, figures lay low to the ground—hunched near the earth as they interact with animal and plant life—or bend away from the heavy skies above them. Beyond these organic interactions, however, they are …