We are thrilled to welcome you to the Museum for Art in Wood! Access to our exhibitions and permanent collection is free of charge to all visitors.

Three Kings Dendroglyph

Three Kings Dendroglyph

Three Kings Dendroglyph
Title: Three Kings Dendroglyph
Artist: Dorothy Gill Barnes
Nationality: US
Date: 2000
Materials: White pine
Dimensions: 2 1/2 x 4 x 18 1/2 in.
Price: NFS
Read More
Owned By: Dorothy Gill Barnes
Object ID Number: 2016FBDGB1
Object Number: 2016FBDGB1
Notes: I often work with materials from nature that I find around me, wherever I am. When I made the piece titled Three Kings Dendroglyph, I was frequently using white pine, much of it from a friend’s property in Athens, Ohio. I call the marks I make on trees—like those you see on this piece—“dendroglyphs,” a term that is used to describe the carvings or drawing made on trees in a number of different cultures. After I make the marks, the bark continues to heal and grow around them for months or years until I respectfully harvest the trees. (I often choose trees to use based on knowing that they may need to be removed.) Here, each dendroglyph is similar to the Chinese character for “king.” The two pieces slide apart so that viewers can see and touch the contrasting rough bark and smooth undersurface. First shown in China in 2000, Three Kings Dendroglyph was also included in an exhibition organized by the Wood Turning Center, 7 Visions: Wood as Fiber in 2008, an exhibition that gave me an excellent introduction to the Center’s mission and community.