James Byrne
Mississippi Roots - Page One
​
At first glance these are familiar looking natural forms - tree roots, bark, stones, and plants. They are photographs of the underside root systems of toppled trees that line the banks of the Mississippi River near my home in St. Paul. A closer look reveals unusual organic shapes and primordial figures - as if they have always existed in the inner life of these trees, and are now released. What and who can you see in these images?
​
The upturned root systems have been washed clean and eroded, year after year by flood waters then dried in the summer sun, exposing beautiful textures, colors, and patterns. Otherworldly spaces and places in shades of brown, blue, gold, and gray, wait in the underbelly of these wonderful trees. Through a simple process of mirroring a single un-manipulated photograph, these hidden spaces and places are unveiled.
_20x15%20copy.jpg)



%20V%2032x12%20copy.jpg)





%2017x15%20copy.jpg)