Ginkgo Imprint Series
The Ginkgo, an ancient tree which pre-dates dinosaurs, originated from southeast Asia and is a native of China, was first planted in the
UK at Kew in 1762. Known as a ‘living fossil’ due to its age, fossils of the Ginkgo have been discovered which are more than 200 million
years old.1
Believed to be the only living connection between ferns and conifers and commonly known as the ‘Maidenhair’ tree, the Ginkgo’s leaves are similar to those of the Maidenhair ferns. The leaves are distinctive and were celebrated by art nouveau artists for their fan shaped green leaves which grow directly from their branches in a cascading, multi directional formation. In the autumn, the leaves turn a glorious golden yellow, providing an almost iridescent contrast on a blue sky day when you look up into the canopy.
“I have always been fascinated by these trees for their ancient origins and delicate patterned leaves. I began to experiment, making impressions from the leaves initially mono printing them onto clay to create dishes, before using the leaf itself to create a direct impression onto the clay from which I then made a vase – first of a series.”
1 https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/ginkgo-biloba-maidenhair-tree-kew-gardens#:~:text=One%20of%20Kew’s%20original%20trees,be%20planted%20in%20the%20UK.
Photo by Teresa Munby – taken in Oxford University parks
