The Blue Trees by Australian artist Konstantin Dimopoulos is an environmental art installation that takes a familiar urban landscape and changes it for a brief period of time into something surreal, unfamiliar, even uncomfortable. Working with over 200 volunteers, Dimopoulos colored the trunks and branches of the crepe myrtle trees at Waugh and Memorial Drive with a biologically-safe colourant that eventually faded on its own. “The Blue Trees has a strong regenerative aspect to it, an organic work that is continually changing and evolving. From season to season the trees grow through the cycles of nature and the colors begin to change and disappear. Time passing is a part of the concept; time that determines our own existence is measured through these trees,” says Dimopoulos about his award-winning project. By transforming living trees, Dimopoulos elevates their role in our lives from everyday landscape to objects of appreciation.
Artist: Konstantin Dimopoulos (Instagram/Website)
Location: Houston, TX
Date: 2013
Type: Site-Specific Temporary Commission
Role: Project Manager at Houston Arts Alliance (with Tommy Gregory)
Photos by Thomasid Rolls, Jaana Eleftheriou and Adele Dimopoulos, courtesy of the artist.