Tongues of Trees



Tongues of Trees visual works was created by using materials from Peel Park, Salford. Using leaves to create photographic developer, seed husks to create photographic toner, and bark to create printing inks. All the imagery is of barks, leaves, and mushrooms from the park. No cameras have been used in the making of this work. Materials were collected and taken back to the studio to create the inks, developers, and toners. Using these materials photograms, lumens, enlarged images of collected pieces, and screen prints were developed.

Tongues of the Trees audio work was created by Lizzie King and Dr. Rebekah Okpoti. Dr. Okpoti and King started to collaborate in the summer of 2022 to create an audio work to go alongside the visual imagery being created by King on the subject of Shinrin-Yoku, also known as Forest Bathing. The audio result has been two 20 minute works consisting of field recordings by King from Peel Park in Salford, both artists birth city, with field recordings and responsive violin, piano, bells, and organ from Dr. Okpoti. ‘Attention’ and ‘Awe’ were the two words at the centre of this project as the artists focused on what it is like to shed cameras and phones and focus on the reality of the forest.

Silver Gelatin Prints of leaves developed in that specific leaf based developer

i.e. Eucalyptus leaf developed in eucalyptus leaf based developer

Soft ground etching of marks made by sycamore tree.  Printed in sycamore bark ink.  

Lumen embosses exposed on the sycamore tree

Screenprint of sycamore and ash tree rubbings.  Printed in sycamore and ash ink respectively.

Lumen versions

Silver Gelatin Prints - Overnight developed in leaf based developer

Silver Birch Bark 001-003 - Silver Gelatin Prints developed in leaf based developer

Ectomycorzia (Triptych) - Silver Gelatin Prints developed in leaf based developer