The Fyfield Elm in Arnold's time before 1912

This photograph of the Fyfield Elm in Arnold's time, taken by Henry W. Taunt, feels so fragile and fleeting. I imagine Taunt, lugging his heavy equipment, waiting for the perfect light to capture this tree, a silent witness to history. The skeletal branches reach out like fingers, a stark contrast to the soft, blurred background. It makes me think about my own process, layering and scraping away, searching for the essence of a form. I wonder what Taunt was thinking, framing this ancient elm? Was he trying to capture its strength, or its vulnerability? The way the light filters through the leaves reminds me of Agnes Martin's delicate grids, a quiet meditation on nature and time. It’s like they're both trying to distill something essential, a feeling, a memory. Artists, we're all just borrowing and building, whispering to each other across time. Each mark, each image, is part of a much larger conversation.