Dust Tree

塵樹

Old wood crates, abandoned chair, bulbs
2011
箱板木，舊椅，燈
2011年製

The “Dust Tree” is made from recycled and found materials: the branches of the tree take their second life from old wood crates and the wooden chair, saved from abandonment at an industrial trash station.

Reclaiming materials from ‘trash’ sets in motion a process of renewal, un-resting materials from their would-be final fate, waking them from near eternal dormancy. Part of this artwork wants to ‘deal with it’ – deal with the idea of sustainability, and ‘make something of it’ – take ‘recycling’ beyond its re-use forms. Trash art, art trash – or more? Can we have less guilt if we reprise the object?

Is the tree the dust of the earth?

Overheard: 
The bodhi is not like the tree;
The mirror bright is nowhere shining.
As there is nothing from the first, 
Where does the dust of the earth collect itself?
— Zen Master Hui Neng

It sounds brilliant and wise. However, I’m living in the mortal world, where the real situation finds: 
The body is the bodhi tree, 
The heart is like the bright mirror, 
Clearing time after time,
Making sure not to take the dust of the earth.
— Zen Master Shen Xiu

How is this society formed? What is my role in this society? Maybe this tree will let me share the understanding when I am sitting there.

這是在工廠大廈里撿來的椅子和貨物裝箱木所做的樹組合而來的。

這些被社會所遺棄的垃圾，本以為一無事用，可以在垃圾山內安眠，可惜我這個好事之徒取之為用，變成了垃圾藝術，或是藝術垃圾，做了件“好像做了一點事的東西”，讓 “無用”成為 “可用” ，透過這 “意外之用”讓自己心里好過一些。

常聽“菩提本無樹，明鏡亦非臺，本來無一物，何處惹塵埃”。的確大徹大悟，但是本人仍然在這個由物質組成的拜金社會生活著，無論做人，做藝術，還是“身是菩提樹，心為明鏡臺，時時勸拂拭，勿使惹塵埃”在這棵塵樹下坐著，時時提醒自已這是一個怎樣的社會，身為一份子，我在做甚麼。