Artwork copyright Phil Brazeau. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

Tree of Life, 1991

Phil Brazeau
American (born 1952)

Location: Manitou Elementary, Tacoma

About the Artwork

Tree of Life is a brightly colored and whimsical paper sculpture created by artist Phil Brazeau. To make the images, he molded wet rice paper around fruit and toys. Once dry, the paper held the shape of each object. He painted and arranged the objects over a collage of dictionary illustrations. He notes, “Designations of the two dimensional images are contradicted in some cases by the placement of paper fruit, which in turn may be incorrectly labeled itself. Objects stubbornly refuse to register or align themselves where they are supposed to be. This seems to me to be very much my experience in life itself. The tree is constructed out of elements established in a hierarchy with a toad representing basic nature up to the flowering of the human mind.” The "Tree of Life" connects all forms of creation, and it is a story found in many cultures all around the world.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Tacoma Public Schools.

About the Artist

Seattle-based artist Phil Brazeau creates humorous and expressive artworks inspired by vintage illustrations and folk art.