Ghostly Tree

Sarah e McIntosh’s Ghostly Tree is a beautifully restrained celebration of form. McIntosh does not over-embellish or overwhelm the viewer with detail or color but presents them with a simple yet generous evocation of nature. The black background removes distracting visual stimuli from the work and provides the viewer with the space to take in the tree’s spectral limbs. Her painterly restraint is such that the tree’s presence could be virtually unnoticeable if viewed from another angle. If one hung the present work upside down, it would look like a meandering and forking river. This versatility of image draws attention to the visual similarities of all natural forms. Had McIntosh indulged in a kaleidoscopic palette and complex figuration, the viewer's attention would be solely fixed on the photographic immediacy of the scene. However, Ghostly Tree’s unembellished appearance allows the viewer to see far beyond a mere bucolic snapshot.