In the poignant exhibit titled “Funeral for a Tree,” artist and musician Steve Parker transforms the remnants of a deceased 65-year-old live oak into a profound exploration of memory and loss. After the oak in his front yard succumbed to oak wilt, Parker found himself grappling with an unexpected sense of grief, recalling the tree’s significance in his family’s life, from providing summer shade to appearing in cherished back-to-school photographs.
Faced with the dilemma that many Austinites encounter after a tree’s demise—what to do with the wood—Parker, an artist by trade, devised an innovative approach. His creations are currently on display at the Ivester Contemporary art gallery in East Austin, where visitors are greeted by the eerie yet captivating sounds emanating from the exhibit.
Upon entering, guests might hear a scratchy, organic noise reminiscent of branches scraping against the side of an old farmhouse. This sound is produced by an instrument Parker crafted, utilizing medical tools to mimic the sounds of tree branches. Nearby, circular cross-sections of the live oak, referred to as “wood cookies,” are suspended on the walls, which Parker has ingeniously transformed into playable records, dubbing them “conceptual and literal” records.
The inspiration for this artistic endeavor arose from a simple observation: “When we look at a tree and want to look at its life, we look at the stump, because it’s like this visual record of its life,” Parker explains. This profound connection led him to explore the life story encapsulated within the wood itself.
At another section of the exhibit, an altar made of live oak showcases the pipes of a sheng, a traditional Chinese wind instrument often crafted from bamboo. These pipes are connected to tubes that facilitate breathing into the instrument, filling the space with rich, harmonious melodies. Parker, who encountered the sheng during a recent trip to Taiwan, reflects on its symbolism: “It calls to mind the way the body shuts down at the end of life… the heartbeats and also the lungs of the human body played through the shengs.”
Further along, additional wooden albums hang on another wall, each polished and refined compared to the earlier “cookies.” Many of these records have been encoded with music, including bird songs interpreted on the sheng by Taiwanese musician Jipo Yang, who is both a friend and collaborator. The avian melodies represent the various birds, such as purple martins and wood thrushes, that once sought refuge in the live oak’s branches.
One of the thicker albums, however, remains un-encoded, featuring a tracklist of environmental events that Parker believes resonate within the wood. Events like the drought of 2011 and the winter storm of 2021 are documented, capturing the essence of the wood’s life. “The life of the wood is captured and sort of imprinted upon the sound,” Parker notes. “Over time, it will actually fade a little bit more, just like a memory.”
To illustrate this concept, Parker places another live oak disc on a wooden turntable inspired by a vintage Victrola, using a toothpick as the stylus. This particular disc features a rendition of the folk ballad “Bury Me Beneath the Willow,” originally performed by Ernest Thompson in 1924. The haunting sound, faintly audible beneath the whir and scratch of wood on wood, evokes a deep sense of nostalgia.
Parker draws parallels between the decline of his tree and his personal experiences with loss, particularly recalling his father’s battle with cancer six years ago. “I often think about my dad when I’m working in the studio; I listen to music that he would have listened to. And this is just something for me to kind of maintain a connection with him,” he shares.
“Funeral for a Tree” will be on display at Ivester Contemporary on Springdale Road until Saturday, offering a unique and intimate reflection on the themes of memory and the enduring impact of loss.
