The Great Look Upward

2024; Aluminum alloy, stainless steel, plastic, CNC; 42.5 × 42.5 × 89.8 in; 3+1AP

One winter day while running in Rochester, New York, Jin noticed what seemed like many dead leaves hanging high on the trees. she thought to herself how resilient these leaves were, still clinging to the branches even after withering. At that very moment, the objects she mistook for leaves suddenly flew away—they weren’t leaves at all, but a flock of sparrows. This experience made Jin realize how her habitual thinking had caused her to overlook the presence of the little things in life, especially in such a cold season. It led her to reflect on how human consciousness shapes our perception and understanding of nature. This reflection inspired the creation of this artificial tree, where each layer of branches is a repeated replication of a single branch. What appears to be leaves and flowers from a distance are composed of small birds.