Heartwood Exhibition
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Monday - Saturday (10am - 4pm)
The first artistic response to the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree
Overview and context
In response to the felling of the Sycamore Gap tree, the National Trust and partners including Northumberland National Park and Historic England, received thousands of comments and responses from the public, who shared their feelings and thoughts about what the tree meant to them. In response to this this, several themes emerged as areas to develop opportunities to remember the tree, these included caring for nature, history, and a space for memories and reflection.
Through Heartwood this first response to the felling, aims to capture the essence of the Sycamore Gap tree and the impression it left on those who connected with it.
What is Heartwood?
Heartwood is a new exhibition that opens across the length of Hadrian’s Wall from 15 July. Five wood prints have been created from a disc of the trunk from the felled Sycamore Gap tree. The prints capture the intricate detail of the rings of the tree, and the exhibition is named for the shape the trunk had – a ‘heart’.
Created by artist, Shona Branigan, each print is a different colour, including one white print that is tactile for exhibition visitors to feel the grooves of the rings from the tree.
Each print will be on display at a free to access venue along Hadrian’s Wall at Carlisle TIC, Hexham Abbey, Hadrian’s Wall & Housesteads Fort Visitor Centre and Newcastle City Library. The tactile print will be on display in Hexham Abbey.
All five prints will then come together on display at Queen’s Hall from 6 September – 19 October.
How can I see the exhibition?
Before the exhibition at Queen's Hall, each print will be on display seperately at a free to access venue along Hadrian’s Wall at Carlise TIC, Hexham Abbey, Hadrian’s Wall & Housesteads Fort Visitor Centre and Newcastle City Library. The tactile print will be on display in Hexham Abbey. They will be in these venues from 15 July – 1 September. From 6 September to 19 October all five prints will then come together to be exhibited at Queen’s Hall, Hexham.
Who created the prints?
Heartwood has been created by Shona Branigan, a printmaker who is known for her detailed and evocative tree prints. Shona worked from her studio in Grizedale Forest in Cumbria using traditional methods and materials to create the delicately detailed set of hand burnished relief prints from the precious disc of sycamore wood.
What size are the prints?
The disc of trunk is approx. 90cm in diameter, this varies from 80cm to about 1metre due to it being almost heart shaped, not circular. The framed prints measure 144cm x 111cm.
What sort of paper are they printed on?
The prints are printed on Heritage Rag 100% cotton from John Purcell paper ltd in London. It is a 100% cotton, unbuffered, Fourdrinier made paper with a vellum surface. It has a full archival specification.
What are the different colours of the prints?
Each Heartwood print has unique depth, context and colourways, with names linked to the Sycamore Gap tree and its historic location. Knowledge is gold ink; Spirituality is blue, ultramarine ink, with iridescent electric blue, purple and hansa yellow watercolours; Landscape is burnt umber ink with sap green and yellow ochre watercolour; History is Venetian red ink and Hansa yellow deep watercolour.
What do the different colours of the prints mean?
Each Heartwood print has unique depth, context and colourways, with names linked to the Sycamore Gap tree and its historic location. The artist’s interpretation of each of the five Heartwood tree prints:
Knowledge – printed in gold ink in homage to the relationship between the desire for knowledge and the practice of alchemy throughout human history. To be exhibited at Newcastle City Library.
Spirituality – printed in blue, ultramarine ink, associated with the heavens, with the addition of iridescent electric blue, purple and Hansa yellow watercolours. To be exhibited at Hexham Abbey with Access.
Landscape – printed in burnt umber ink with sap green and yellow ochre watercolour enhancing the shape of the landscape the tree grew within. Umber is a natural earth pigment consisting of Iron Oxide and Manganese Oxide and is considered one of the oldest pigments known to humans. To be exhibited at Hadrian’s Wall and Housesteads Fort visitor centre.
History – printed in Venetian red ink with the addition of Hansa yellow deep. These are the colours of the Roman centurions’ shields and also the flag of Northumberland. To be exhibited at Carlisle Tourist Information Centre.
Access – Hand pressed onto heritage rag paper without the addition of ink, known as Blind Embossing, this tree print is designed to be a tactile experience for all. The print invites touch with the lines of the tree able to be felt. To be exhibited at Hexham Abbey with Spirituality.
The fifth print, ‘Access’ is hand pressed onto heritage rag paper without ink in a process called Blind Embossing, presenting a tactile experience, inviting touch along the rings of the tree.
Can I see the prints all in one place?
All five prints will be coming together in an exhibition at Queen’s Hall, on display from 6 September - 19 October. We’re also working through plans for future displays of the prints so that they can be seen again after this date.
Can I buy a print from the exhibition?
The National Trust is currently working with Shona to produce a special Heartwood related print to go on sale in due course. Details on how to purchase a print will be announced later in the year.
Why did the National Trust choose to work with Shona?
Shona Branigan is a printmaker who is known for her detailed and evocative tree prints. For a number of years, Shona volunteered in the press room at Cherryburn, the Northumbrian farmstead cared for by the National Trust and the birthplace of Thomas Bewick, world-renowned wood engraver and naturalist and is where she learned traditional printmaking techniques. Shona has been selected to exhibit in the prestigious Society of Wood Engravers annual exhibitions on three occasions. In 2017 she discovered tree printing and went on to exhibit her work regularly leading to her solo exhibition: Hiding in the Wood held at Grizedale Visitor centre in 2018. In 2019 she relocated to live and work in Grizedale forest full-time where her studio is open to the public. Her key creative endeavours in all her work, past and present, is to search for and pay homage to the natural and authentic individuality in ourselves and the world around us. To celebrate the wonder of life.
Her connection with the National Trust and her extensive knowledge and experience of working with wood printing was what led the charity to approach Shona to develop the meaningful artistic response.
Where is the rest of the tree? What’s happening to it?
The wood from the tree is being safely and appropriately stored. It has been carefully catalogued and the National Trust are currently developing criteria for people to apply for wood to repurpose. They’re not processing any requests at this stage but will be confirming plans in the coming months.
Northumberland National Park were gifted a section of the tree’s trunk by the National Trustand they have commissioned an artistic response to the felling, working with a cohort of artists. In September, that response will go on display at the Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre.
What about the disc Shona used – will that go on display?
The National Trust is in discussion with Shona to produce a special Heartwood related print that will hopefully go on sale in due course, so the disc remains with Shona to complete this work. The Trust is looking at future plans for the disc, with a view to it possibly being exhibited.