Art for Trees 2019

Art for Trees, 2019 Pendant by Mellisa (Syn) Barron and collaboration from Tzipora Hoynik in fabrication and production.
The back is inscribed with one of Mellisa’s favorite quotes from Arthur Rimbaud: “A thousand Dreams within me softly burn: From time to time my heart is like some oak whose blood runs golden where a branch is torn.”

These pendants are an ongoing Burning Man project supporting Art of Trees. A has project to plant tens of thousands of seedling trees each year to replenish wood burned at Burning Man.

Mellisa writes in a 2019 email, “It was literally a labor of LOVE. It’s centered around the HEART and it has a beautiful story surrounding it. In January, while at a gem & mineral show, I found 200 small heart-shaped amethyst and druzy crystals from Uruguay that I knew would make the perfect centerpiece for the vision I had in mind. These crystal formations are found inside amethyst geodes and they run the full color spectrum from white to cream, grey, pink, blue, black and to the many shades of purple traditionally associated with amethysts. My first rendering of a design included a cordate leaf (heart shaped) with a stone heart center. Then, on January 11th, at a birthday celebration for Larry Harvey, his son, Trey — knowing of my BS in Landscape Architecture — handed me a huge book that Larry had compiled documenting trees and shrubs for a horticulture course he took at the City College of San Francisco in the early 1980s. He taped an actual leaf to the back of every corresponding identification sheet (over 200 pages) – except ONE – for an African Linden tree that he hand-drew which – guess what? – has a heart-shaped leaf! Well, if that wasn’t a direct sign from “The Universe™” then what is? I knew I had to use that sketch for the actual outline of our necklace this year. On the back, we placed a red heart Swarovski crystal for the Man’s “head” and hand stamped one of my favorite quotes from Arthur Rimbaud: “A thousand Dreams within me softly burn: From time to time my heart is like some oak whose blood runs golden where a branch is torn.” For the fifth year in a row, I collaborated with Tzipora Hoynik and she fabricated the pendants domestically in Los Angeles. I have only created 200 of these pendants.”

Mellisa Barron and Tzipora Hoynik are some of the most important and iconic Makers of the Playa. Veterans of many years,  they celebrate each Burning Man with a limited edition pendant.  Their work is featured in Museums including the 2018 exhibit No Spectators, The Art of Burning Man at the Smithsonian’s Renwick Gallery in Washington D.C. and is published in Karen Christians Jewelry of Burning Man. Mellisa Barron p88, 89, Tzipora Hoynik p128, 129.