echo infuses the dead bark with red hot wax

 

In Gregory Orekhov’s latest land art project, ECHO, a dried out spruce tree becomes a vibrant canvas symbolizing the fragility of nature and humanity. Against the backdrop of an expansive field in Moscow, the dead tree, which had been struck by lightning years ago and knocked down by the wind, now lays revived with the artist’s tactile touch. The textured surface of the bark absorbs hot wax infused with red pigment, while the roots protruding from the ground metaphorically recall internal fears and secret anxieties. With the arrival of the first snow, ECHO evolves as interacts with the freshly coated landscape, its vivid red hues now mere traces of creative influence.

gregory orekhov revives dead spruce tree as vibrant canvas in moscow fields
image by Konstantin Antipin

 

 

gregory orekhov reflects on nature and humanity’s fragility

 

In ECHO, nature transcends its usual role as a mere background, echoing the broader happenings of the world. Through his intervention, artist Gregory Orekhov reflects on the horrors of war and draws parallels between natural processes and the conscious destruction of one’s own kind. After its installation, the artwork encountered an unexpected intervention when a mysterious visitor wielding an axe cut down the protruding roots and split the red surface. This altered the physical condition of the artwork while introducing an entirely new layer of meaning; art, confronted by temporality and vulnerability, became a metaphor for both nature and human creativity. The collision of elements emphasizes that even within beauty, there exists room for change and loss.

gregory orekhov revives dead spruce tree as vibrant canvas in moscow fields
image by Nikita Subbotin

gregory orekhov revives dead spruce tree as vibrant canvas in moscow fields
image by Nikita Subbotin

gregory orekhov revives dead spruce tree as vibrant canvas in moscow fields
image by Nikita Subbotin

gregory orekhov revives dead spruce tree as vibrant canvas in moscow fields
image by Nikita Subbotin

gregory orekhov revives dead spruce tree as vibrant canvas in moscow fields
image by Nikita Subbotin

ECHO
image by Nikita Subbotin

ECHO
image by Nikita Subbotin

ECHO
image by Nikita Subbotin

 

 

project info:

 

name: ECHO
artist: Gregory Orekhov ( inst: @gregory.orekhov X: @gregoryorekhov )
location: Moscow

 

 

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

 

edited by: ravail khan | designboom