Events

WBN United Artists invited responses to The Overstory by Richard Powers for an exhibition and mail art swap at Bower Ashton Library, Bristol, UK. We received over 200 works by artists from countries around the world including: Australia, Austria, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, China, Cyprus, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, UK, USA.

Responses to the book developed our overarching theme – to look after our environment, listen to it and take care of it. Artists works have been created in praise of particular trees or forests and to campaigners and activists who work to protect them and engage others with caring for the environment. Many recalled their experiences of standing with trees and experiencing the peace of nature, being grateful for the restful space they provide.

Contributors celebrated the bounties received from trees as fruit bearers: Apple, Blackthorn, Chestnut and Quince. Native species are celebrated from Aotearoa and Wollemia trees in New Zealand to Ash trees in the UK, a Trembling Aspen near Banff, Alberta; a Tulip Poplar in Bucks County, Pennsylvania; a Mimosa tree in Winchester, UK. Works were made in response to Pine Trees ancient and new, Oak and Maple trees in New York state and across England and Wales, an ancient Ash tree in Yorkshire and Oak Tree in Greenwich Park, portraits of trees in Victoria Park, London, Cornish Magnolias announcing the coming of Spring, Nahua and Purépecha traditions, as well as the trees of their places of origin in Mexican states such as Guerrero, Guanajuato, and Michoacán in Mexico.

National parks, woods and forests that have offered shelter and space included: Highgate Woods and Wimbledon common in London; Kensington Gardens in Philadelphia, USA; Bingley valley in West Yorkshire; the Langdale valley, Cumbria; New South Wales, Australia; Speyside and Cairngorms National Park, Scotland; the Amazon rainforest, Brazil; the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Woodstock, Vermont, USA; the Lucombe Oak tree in Widey Woods, Plymouth UK; the Haagse Bos, Netherlands (a zine printed by Ton Martens on the Korrex proof press at the Huis van het Boek).

There are artworks made in response to poetry by António Ramos Rosa, Dorothy Quick, Luisa Marta Córica, Rainer Maria Rilke; drawings created with handmade walnut and eucalyptus bark inks, natural dyes, lumen prints, mezzotints, collages, embroideries, paper cuts, calligrams, screenprints, Suminagashi, cyanotypes, letterpress, Harakeke paper weaving…

Bristol Grammar School Year 9 pupils also joined us and made a series of artworks guided by their tutor Brie Barnacle. Artists, staff and students of the Visual Arts Bachelor’s Degree programme at the Facultad Popular de Bellas Artes, Bellas Artes, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, made a collaborative portfolio of works, led by Ioulia Akhmadeeva (who co-produced our WBN keepsake in 2023 with Sylee Gore).

The works are now on display in the main gallery space at Bower Ashton Library until 30th July 2025. Come along and visit in person or find out more about WBN 2025, the link to the online gallery, a short story by Nancy Campbell and a free download zine ‘Imagined (field notes)’ by Gracia & Louise on the exhibition page: https://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/wbn2025