Uproot is a series of charcoal drawings of uprooted ponderosa pines, based on trees in Flagstaff’s Coconino National Forest that were downed in a violent windstorm. 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. These images metaphorically reflect the turbulence of our times, which are 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?
