Paper Trees at High Museum of Art

Courtesy of High Museum of Art

CRITIC’S PICK:

Paper Trees, High Museum — Etchings, prints, drawings and sculptures of trees in their infinite variety are on view at the High in this comprehensive collection, some of which are rarely seen. The works are curated from the museum’s own stock as well as loans from the Clark Atlanta University Art Museum and the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking. A particularly impressive piece is ‘Restless Leaves Vase,’ carved out of a cherry burl by Michelle Holzapfel. A burl is a bulge on a tree, the Vermont-based artist explains, and polishing reveals the wild beauty of its irregular growth patterns. “My forms are informed by these living materials; I use their irregularity as an opportunity to create a testament to the dynamic forces that shape trees.” — Kevin C. Madigan

Paper Trees at the High Museum of Art explores the relationship between nature and representation through works on paper that examine trees as both subject and symbol. The exhibition highlights how artists have interpreted the natural world through drawing, printmaking, and other paper-based media.

Across different periods and approaches, the works reflect a range of artistic strategies, from observational study to more expressive or conceptual interpretations. Trees become a point of entry into broader ideas about environment, growth, time, and transformation.

By focusing on paper as both medium and surface, the exhibition emphasizes material sensitivity alongside image-making, revealing how artists translate the organic into line, texture, and form.

Dates: July 31, 2026 – February 21, 2027

Artists:

Venue: High Museum of Art

More Info: View exhibit details