At Last
Song Jianshu
宋建树
Production date
2010
Object Detail
Media
scholar tree wood (Styphnolobium japonicum)
Measurements
488 x 135 x 118 cm
Notes
Song Jianshu sees himself as a mere assistant to the supreme artist, nature; his task as an artist is to reveal the true character of her works. Coming across an uprooted locust tree, he was struck by the thought that while technically a tree, it was also mere wood—still part of the natural world, but ready to be shaped by man. For 'At Last' Song decided to retain both qualities, leaving the roots intact but shaving the tapering trunk to a sharp point. He too started out as an entirely natural being , he says. And when society has finished moulding and shaping him, he will be carved and polished just like the tree.
Accession number
2010.046