System

Jens Liebchen presents a series of arresting beauty and serenity, images that are at once magical and profound. The snow-covered landscapes of pine trees seem the epitome of natural spectacle or are they? Upon closer inspection, they appear too pristine, too perfect. The tradition of Japanese tree shaping has an emblematic role in that culture. The trees and shrubs growing in Japanese gardens are often drastically modified, with caretakers both controlling their placement and manipulating the growth of trunks, branches and leaves to attain what is considered a perfect shape; a system that mirrors Japanese society. Edition of 500 numbered and signed copies.