Christa Blatchford Attending to Loss 2002 Gold Leaf White Pine Grove A cemetery contains the essential contradiction of being a physical space that addresses absence. The markings left on a tree after a branch is removed also speak to me of this compelling tension between presence and absence; they embody the memory of something lost. In highlighting these markings, I draw attention to the history of the tree's life and tend to its scars. I have been experimenting with using gold leaf to patch, tend and place value on worn, broken and neglected spaces- such as cracks in old pavement- which reveal the impact and passage of time. Here, I applied it to two trees which are old and dying. Gold leaf implies worth, while having an ethereal and reflective quality. It has connotations of otherworldliness and yet has been put to use for filling and patching- from cavities in teeth to cracks in Chinese pottery. With gold leaf, I find a compelling combination of value, beauty and functionality. List of Participating Artists

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