Ian van Coller

Installed in 1985, the Long-term Log Decomposition Site is an area of old-growth forest that is part of the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest in Oregon. Tree trunks of various species have been placed in patches of forest and then researched over a span of 200 years as they decompose. This site has and will provide information that elucidates how old growth forests act as nutrient and carbon sinks, which are essential to validate preservation efforts as the climate crises progresses at an exponential rate.

As part of my larger Naturalists of the Long Now project, these prints are direct collaborations with scientists and writers who conduct research at the experimental forest. Over a period of three years, (2021-2024) I photographed portions of the forest both before and after a significant portion of the forest burned. I asked my collaborators to reflect on the landscapes and then annotate directly onto the inkjet prints. Each annotated two prints, one of a photograph taken before the burn and the other after the burn.

This project breaks down barriers between art and science, and creates a dialogue between text and image, landscape and viewer, expert, and novice, past, present, and future. Through the exploration of earthly archives such as old growth forests, my intention is to encourage people to think in terms of longer spans of time and consider what humanity and nature will look like in 100 or even 10,000 years.

Website www.ianvancoller.com