tree trunks made of densely stacked newspapers by miler lagos

miler lagos: fragments of time
fragmentos del tiempo / fragments of the time
piled and carved newspaper (15 piezas/ 15 pieces)
talla sobre papel apilado
2012

trunk-like compositions created by colombian artist miler lagos are made from layers upon layers of densely stacked newspaper clippings, uniting in formation of giant, fallen tree branches. ‘fragments of time’ ironically reinterprets the source material; the paper used becomes the artistic materialization its origin, transposed from foundation to creative application. the lifeless pieces arranged on the gallery floor are made up of hundreds of thin sheets newsprint, tightly packed together, carved and sanded on the edges, transforming them into hyper-realistic organic shapes. the wood color of the tree trunks is achieved on the paper’s surface while lagos carved away at the paper with an angle grinder. the friction made the paper burn, leaving a trail of smoke, which left a deep brown chroma on the paper’s exterior. the exposed cross section of each individual bark piece reveals printed matter — a fragment from a newspaper, chronicling various events and stories — alluding to the artwork’s namesake. segments of black and white feature photos and cut-off headlines impart only a fraction of what is trying to be told, beckoning viewers to interpret their original context.

a portion of the newspaper clipping is revealed at the end of the paper bark

a cross-section reveals a fragment of the story on the exposed newsprint

paper tree branches are arranged on the gallery floor

hundreds of thin sheets newsprint, tightly packed together, make up the individual forms

an installation view of the organic shapes laid on the floor

a close up view reveals the layers upon layers of stacked paper

(left and right)
details of ‘fragments of time’ expose the paper sections of each wood-painted bark